


You are my Freedom

by Iris_Dietrich



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 11:03:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 46,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11599299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iris_Dietrich/pseuds/Iris_Dietrich
Summary: Damon wants into the Tomb in order to kill Katherine, once inside he finds something that changes everything... his wife.





	1. Fool Me Never

**Author's Note:**

> This is an old story of mine from Fanfiction and also Wattpad, since I am new to AO3 I waned to upload one of the few lengthy stories I've managed to finish, I am thinking of a sequel hopefully after you read you will be on board for that as well. I've decided to repost chapter by chapter allowing me to edit as I go in order to get ready to also write the follow up.

The Bennets, Elena, Damon, and Anna stand around outside the tomb,

Damon takes Elena's arm, "You ready?" he asks.

"What?" Elena asks confused.

Shiela sees where Damon is going and tells him she won't allow it,

"You think I'm gonna go in there by myself so you can seal me in?" He argues back grabbing Elena again.

"Don't take her in. I'll bring the walls down." Shiela warns.

Damon squints his eyes studying her, "You'll bring the walls down if I don't. You think I trust you?"

Shiela replies, "As much as I trust you." without missing a beat.

Elena sighs, "Enough! Both of you." She looks towards Bonnie and Grams, "Look, he needs leverage. He needs to know that you're not going to shut the door when he gets inside. I get it. I'll go."

Damon grabs a torch from the circle and turns back to Elena offering her his elbow "May I?" he asks as if it's a choice.

Elena decides not to fight him on this and just to do what needs to be done to get tonight over with. She nods at Sheila and Bonnie, reassuringly, and follows Damon into the tomb.

Once inside Damon is quick to abandon Elena and is off to search for Katherine wanting to start his revenge with her cold dead heart in his hands. He searches and searches but after his third walkthrough, he realizes she is not here. 

Furious he throws some of the blood bags he brought with him against the wall and then takes the one he has left and starts feeding the decaying vampires around him. Desperate to inflict as much pain on this town as possible since being denied the satisfaction of killing Katerine himself he settles for unleashing the twenty-something ancient vampires on this pathetic excuse for a town.

.      .      .      .

Anna has also run into the tomb and now stands up and faces Elena.

"I made a choice a long time ago that it would be Gilbert blood that brought her back to life. I had Jeremy all ready to go but...."

Elena gasps and turns around bolting but Anna vamp-runs in front of her grabs Elena by the wrist, and bites down causing Elena to scream out loudly.

In the ante-chamber, Stefan hears Elena's screams echo through the tomb, incensed he dashes into the tomb with Bonnie quick behind him.

"Stefan!" She shouts out trying to warn him but Sheila blocks Bonnie from entering the tomb.

Bonnie turns around to her Shiela desperate, "You can't just leave him in there, Grams!"

"He made his choice." Shiela tries to calmly explain to her granddaughter.

Bonnie shakes her head refusing to believe Stefan will be trapped in there, "No. Here." [She picks up the grimoire and looks desperately at her Grams.] "Just show me what to do. I'll do it."

Shiela sighs, "We are not strong enough. Even if we were able to bring the seal down, there's no guarantee that we could get it back up again."

"You said it yourself, many things can fuel a witches power. Help me or I'll do it alone." Bonnie says sticking her heels in.

**A little while later...**

Bonnie and Sheila are looking through the grimoire when Elena exits the tomb.

"Elena! Stefan..." She trails off not knowing how to tell her friend that her boyfriend might be trapped down here forever.

"He's right behind me," Elena says clueless to what the rest of Bonnie's sentence was going to be.

[Bonnie and Sheila look at the entrance to the tomb. Elena turns around and sees Stefan standing in the doorway. Elena walks up to him, worried.]

"Stefan, what are you doing?" She asks.

Bonnie speaks from behind her, "It's gonna be okay. We'll fix it."

Elena confused looks to Bonnie then back to Stefan, "What is it?"

Stefan looks sadly at her, "I can't." he explains.

"Can't? Can't what?" Elena asks sill unclear what is going on.

"The spell's still up. We can't get them out yet." Bonnie clarifies for her.

Elena walks closer to Stefan, "You went in there not knowing if you could come back out?"

Stefan just shrugs, "I heard you scream."

Elena suddenly remembers Damon is trapped inside as well, "Damon...we can't leave him in there. We promised him. Both of us."

Stefan nods, "I know."

Grams breaks up this little moment reminding them of the realities, "Even if we're able to break through the seal, we won't be able to hold it for long."

Stefan goes back into the tomb to find Damon. Once he finds his brother he is disturbed to find him cradling a desiccated vampire... petting the side of her face so reverently. At first, he assumes it must be Katherine but upon closer look, it isn't which leaves Stefan even more disturbed and very confused.

Damon is in his own world, still in shock at discovering her in this place... as a starving vampire no less. He doesn't bother keeping up the ruse any longer when he hears Stefan approach.

"There wasn't enough blood to revive her, I gave too much of it away before I discovered her here." his own voice sounding like a faraway echo.

Stefan studies his brother, "What do you mean giving it away? Who... Damon, who is that? Where's Katherine?"

Damon gives a humorless chuckle, "She must have traded places with her somehow... turned her and sent her in her place. All this time at least I had the satisfaction she was trapped and suffering but she's been free this whole time." He says mostly to himself.

Stefan carefully approaches his brother not understanding everything at play here but knowing he needs to tread carefully, "Damon, we need to get out of here."

"It doesn't make sense." Damon says still trying to come to terms with how he has come to hold this vampire in his arms, "How did she even know her... find her?" he asks.

Stefan crouches down, "I don't understand what you're saying but if we don't leave now, we're not getting out! It's not worth spending all of eternity down here. She's not worth it!"

Elena rushes into the room and spots Damon, "Damon! Please." She beseeches trying to light a fire under him and quickly get them all out.

Damon, seeing the face of Katherine on Elena shakes himself out of his fog and vows if it's the last thing he does he will find Katherine and he will make her suffer.

Finally able to gain some stability he quickly gathers the woman further up in his arms and the four of them began rushing to get out of the tomb.

Bonnie and Sheila are still chanting the spell to keep the seal down. Bonnie stops for a moment, gasping for air and keeling over.

"Oh my God. I can't!" She cries,

"Yes, you can." Her grandmother tells her strongly.

Damon exits the tomb first carrying the mystery vampire, followed by Elena, who turns around and embraces Stefan when he exits. The door to the tomb closes and the torches die out.

After checking on Jeremy Elena makes her way over to Damon who is seated by a tree staring with disbelief at the woman in his arms.

"So..." She starts, "considering she doesn't look anything like me, I am guessing that's not Katherine."

Damon doesn't respond or give any indication he's even heard Elena.

"Who is she?" Elena tries again and succeeds in getting a response...

"She's my wife."

...but not one she ever saw coming.


	2. 1st Flashback

***Thanksgiving at the Salvatore Estate 1851...**

Giuseppe has just made Damon eat his pet turkey, Sami. His mother did nothing to help him and he was forced to chew and swallow his friend. He felt completely alone in the world. Later that night unable to sleep, Damon snuck out not caring if his father found out and punished him for it. He was by the back door when he heard something coming from the kitchen. Going to explore Damon came across a small girl half in the tin can (garbage bin)

"What are you doing?" he asked startling the little girl.

Afraid she quickly tries to scurry away from the master's son, but Damon catches her by the arm.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he tries to reassure her,

"but why are you going through the garbage... are you hungry?" He asked horrified the young girl might not be getting enough to eat.

"I wanted to bury her for you." she manages to squeak out.

Confused Damon looks down to see a small collection of bones gathered on the floor.

"Sami?" He asks.

"I thought if I got all her bones together she could still go in the ground. I mean people go in the ground and turn to bones eventually anyway, right? And this way she can rest in peace even if her life didn't end in that way."

This was perhaps the kindest gesture anyone had shown him. He sits down on the dirty ground and starts helping the girl sort the bones from the rest of the trash. Quietly they finish the task and venture out into the night.

They come across a big beautiful tree far enough from the house no one will see the disturbed ground. Damon swiped a shovel from the stables and digs a hole and together they gently lay what's left of Sami to rest. After filling back in the dirt the little girl grabs Damon's hand and bows her head to say a prayer.

"Dear God, thank you for giving us Sami, she was a very good turkey. She never hurt anyone and brought happiness to others, and that's more than most of your children do so please welcome her into heaven even if she isn't people. Amen."

"Amen." Damon said surprised how choked up he was.

Walking back to the house Damon had tears in his eyes, the little girl moved him so much and being able to say goodbye to Sami and ask God to let her into heaven had been a much better goodbye than he thought he'd be left with thanks to his Father.

Inside he helped the girl clean up the kitchen so others wouldn't know what they'd done. She had such sweet features especially her eyes, they were blue but not like his or his Mom's it was more of a blue/grey mix that softened her gaze instead of the piercing intensity behind his own. He found them comforting and wondered why he had never been treated to them before.

"So... who are you exactly? I don't remember seeing you around before." He timidly asks all of a sudden feeling shy.

"I got here not too long ago." She explains, "my father passed and left my Mother with quite a bit of debt, she sold me off to help keep my younger siblings fed. They're still too small to work."

Damon scrunches up his eyebrows and studies her "You're still too young to work."

She simply shrugged her shoulders.

"What's your name?" he asks.

"Clara."

He smiled hearing her name, it fit her perfectly.

"Pleasure to meet you miss Clara, Damon Salvatore at your service." He recited with a dramatic bow.

He was rewarded with a timid but brilliant smile, that made him light up from within.

"I don't want to say goodbye but we should probably leave it's almost morning now, it wouldn't be good if we were caught in here." He tells her.

Clara nods, "I know" She gave him a smile and a small curtsey and turned to leave but Damon stopped her.

"Wait. Thank you for what you did for me tonight, no one has ever... just thank you."

"You're welcome Damon Salvatore."

 

***Present- Salvatore Boarding House...**

Stefan had dropped Elena home and was now returning to the Boarding House to figure out what the hell was going on with his brother.

Upon entering the first thing he hears is the shower running from Damon's room. He walks up the stairs and enters the room. He can see into the bathroom because of the mirror on the opposite wall and the door that was left open.

He sees his brother caring for the limp lifeless mystery vampire. He is being so gentle with her it is so strange seeing his brother this way. He slowly creeps back out of the room suddenly feeling like he was intruding on a very private intimate moment.

After washing her Damon dressed Clara in one of his John Varvatos shirts before laying her down on his bed. He didn't want to leave her, he never wanted to be apart from her again but he needed blood from the cellar to fully bring her back. So reluctantly he left his bedroom only to immediately be met by his brother.

Damon sighed, "Now's not that time Stefan." he said pushing past Stefan and making his way downstairs.

But Stefan wasn't about to be brushed off, "Damon you have been terrorizing me, Elena, countless others all to get into that tomb and free Katherine. Now your not the least bit upset she wasn't there, your upstairs with someone I've never even seen before calling her your wife?"

Damon stops and shakes his head, "With all your high and mighty act these last few decades I sometimes forget how much like father you can be..." Stefan gives his signature broody forehead look not following.

"She worked for us," He explains, "one of the servants, just a child when she started but she cleaned and made meals for you most of your human life. But like good ole' Giuseppe they were invisible to you weren't they?"

Stefan feels bad he doesn't remember her but quickly moves past it, "That doesn't expain.."

Damon takes a big breath tilting his head up trying to control the urge just to snap his brother's neck and get back upstairs,

"Look I don't have the time or energy to walk you through this step by step so cliffnotes: I wanted in that tomb to end Katherine once and for all and despite you being all team Elena I wasn't convinced you wouldn't stop me from ending the original copy, so I played you. Clara and I married in secret before I went to war. When I got back Kathrine used compulsion on me, having a devoted husband didn't exactly make for the best boytoy. Now if you'll excuse me." He rhetorically asked pushed past Stefan.

Having retrieved what he needed from the cellar he zoomed back upstairs leaving Stefan in the dust and somehow even more confused about what was going on with his brother than before they talked.

Clara laid perfectly still while Damon squeezed the blood from the bag letting it drip down her throat. Suddenly her hand shot up breaking Damon's wrist but holding him close greedily sucking down the remnants of blood. Finished Damon managed to pry his wrist free silently cursing from the pain and reached for another bag.

Four bags later Damon lays down next to his love running his fingers through her drying hair telling her over and over again that no one will ever hurt her again.

"I am so sorry I wasn't there. I won't ever leave you again, I promise you it was never my choice in the first place. I love you, you're the only one I will ever love or want. Please my darling, open those pretty eyes for me."

A few minutes later Damon got his wish and once again was able to stare into those comforting deep pools of blue and grey.


	3. Hello, Husband

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I see Clara as Bambi-Northwood Blyth, but feel free to cast whoever you want.

Clara opens her eyes and is rewarded by staring directly into Damon's. She didn't even need to see the rest of his face or person, she would know those eyes anywhere.

She smiled, "Hello, Husband." She says simply and is surprised when Damon responds by launching himself on top of her kissing her firmly on the lips while his hands press on either side of her face as if he's afraid she'll turn away from him, but she could never refuse his kisses nor would she ever want to.

Damon finally let Clara's lips go free but he keeps her firm in his grasp needing her to hear what he has to say,

"I" he pauses, "Love," "You"

Damon emphasizes each word desperate for her to know how much he truly means them dreading having to explain how he ever could have forgotten her.

Clara moves her hands up and gently holds Damon's face in them, mirroring his hold on her.

"I know." She tells him, but there is another meaning behind those words.

Damon scrunches his brows at this not sure if he can believe her, one wrong word, one miscommunication, if she runs from him now... he can't... he wouldn't survive now that he's had her in his arms again.

"Baby, I am so sor-" He is cut off before he can finish with Clara reaching up and placing a kiss upon his lips this time. After thousands of conquests, nothing has ever felt as pleasurable as her sweet kisses to him.

"I know." She tells him again.

Clara seeing the confused look on her husband's face continues.

"I didn't at first." She explains, "At first I was worried you were killed going on that mission to bring defectors back but after everyone was found slaughtered at the house I assumed you were too ashamed to face me so I went in search of you."

Damon closes his eyes pained that his love knows of the sins he committed even as a human. So used to being judged and discarded by everyone in his life he couldn't see that look of disdain in her eyes so he squeezed his eyes shut terrified to keep looking into her beautiful orbs.

But he felt her run her fingers through his hair and then heard her gentle voice asking him to look at her.

"I love you, Damon, I don't know what happened but it won't change how I feel. I might hate what you did if you were at fault but I could never hate you. The important thing is you weren't among the dead, I don't ever want to live without you. Please look at me, my love." She beseeches him,

Damon still has his eyes clamped shut, "It was my fault, and its not even the worst thing I've done, without you I've grown into a monster far worse than Giuseppi. If you were to truly see me for who I am now, there is no way you could ever love me." He says sounding broken at the thought.

"What do you mean who you are now, how much time has passed?"

With that Damon's eyes shoot open, "What's the last thing you remember?" he asks.

Damon hadn't thought of what to say or how to explain things if she were to awaken not knowing what she now was.

Clara takes a beat, "That woman, Katherine, she was keeping me captive. I found you and tried to approach you but you looked straight through me like I meant nothing to you."

He closes his eyes again feeling like a stake had been stabbed through his heart.

"I was hurt of course, but I hung around trying to make sense of it." She tells him, "At first I thought maybe you had hit your head and were too hurt to remember things properly but the more I observed the more I noticed how Katherine seemed to be orchestrating everything... treating you and Stefan like marionettes pulling your strings whenever she felt like it. Then I started to hear rumblings in town about vampires, eventually, I put it all together.... I tried to save you, you know?" She chuckles at the absurdity.

He studies her, and silently urges her to continue her tale,

"I was naive and severely out-matched. I thought she would kill me but it was like she wanted to break me first. She tried to convince me that you didn't want me anymore, that you were in love with her. That you had just been playing with me and could never want an actual life with me." Damon has to move his hands away from his love's head because he is furiously squeezing them into fists wishes he could have them about Katherine's neck right now.

"She thought she was being clever and manipulative," Clara continues, "thought she was so much smarter than me but no one is more educated on you than me. Even if you had been just fooling me you would never share with Stefan, if you thought your brother was in love with a girl you would bow out. That I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt. You are very possessive in your love... I made a mistake though. I thought I saw a chink in her armor, a weakness I could hit to make her feel pain, but it just caused her to lash out. She changed me to be like her and condemned me to a life forever without you."

She brings her hands to stroke Damon's face, "I don't know how you defeated her and how we are here together but I know I love you and I know I will always love you more than whatever your sins are. You are my husband and that is something not even she could take away."

Damon looked at her speechless for a moment. Gratitude and love overwhelmed him.

Suddenly the corner of his lips inches up, "You're wrong you know? If Stefan ever fell for you I'd fight him to the death for your love." He tells her.

Clara giggled a little,

"If anything you just proved me right. Damon..(She kisses him) Salvatore...(kisses) does...(kisses) not...(kisses) share."

Damon now kisses her and deeply, licking her lips open letting his tongue dive into her mouth. He was certain no one had ever been more in love than he was with this magnificent woman.

The heavy petting continued for some time before Clara pulled back.

"Wait you didn't answer my question."

Damon was too distracted by the feel of her again to properly pay attention, he continued to kiss, licked, suck, and nibbled down her neck, finally mumbling "what question?"

"How long has it been?" It was like ice water had been thrown on him. He sat her up and pulled her into his lap knowing he would soon need to comfort her.

"Its been a few years...quite a few."


	4. A Few Good Brother in Laws Pt. 1

"Alaric's wife might have been your mother?" Stefan asks surprised.

"It can't be true, right? I mean, the coincidence alone is just crazy. I have the address for her friend Trudie." Elena tells him

"You wanna talk to her," Stefan says more as a statement rather than a question.

Elena looks down, "I don't know. I...I--I don't know. If it's true and they are the same person, that means that my birth mother is dead, and I don't know if I could handle that."

Stefan sighs, "Elena, did Jenna tell you anything about Alaric's wife? How she died?"

"Just that she was killed and the case was never solved."

Stefan nods, "The night at the school when he attacked me, he told me some things about her death... no, no. It's not possible. The coincidence is—it's too much. Now, listen, if you do decide to go talk to Isobel's friend, I'll go with you. Okay?"

"I just don't know what I'm gonna do yet," Elena tells him wrapping her arms around Stefan's neck they embrace each other lovingly.

Stefan soothingly runs this hand up and down her back, "I should get going. I gotta go deal with Damon." He regretfully tells her.

"Yeah what's going on with him? Is he still sticking the wife story?"

"Yeah apparently she was a servant of ours and they married in secret before he left for war," Stefan explains

"And what now they are just gonna carry on like nothing happened? He promised once he got Katherine he would leave... Bonnie's Gran died." Elena says getting frustrated.

"I know, apparently his plan was to kill Katherine for taking him away from Clara, but now I don't know... I'll try to talk to him again."

"Clara?" Elena asks.

"His wife."

Elena smirks, "Don't you mean your new sister in law." Elena says sarcastically.

Stefan drops his head, "Look just focus on Bonnie and Trudie, I'll deal with it okay?"

Elena nods agreeing.

****Salvatore Boarding House****

Damon has been trying and failing at calming Clara down. Finding out she has missed out on 150 years of her life has sent her spiraling.

"Please, can you stop saying everything is going to be alright!" She shouts at him

Damon looks at her with sympathy, "I'm sorry."

"And stop saying that too!" She shouts again.

Damon sighs, "Not leaving me with a lot of options here dear." After he stresses the word dear Clara shoots him a look saying don't push it and wisely Damon doesn't. Instead, he goes down into the library and grabs books from the late 1860's to early 1900's.

"Here." He says tossing the books near her.

"What are these?" She asks.

"Books from the first 40 or so years you missed, catch up. I have to go out and get some more blood bags, might have to go a few towns over so this should keep you occupied and out of trouble for a while.... look you're overwhelmed I get that but please just try and take a few deep breaths and see the bigger picture."

"And what's that?" She asks annoyed.

"That we're together again, and this time for good." He said ending with a smirk causing her to playfully roll her eyes.

She nodded agreeing to try to be more positive and sent him off with a kiss.

Later as Stefan returned to the house he found Clara sitting in front of the fire books sprawled out all around her.

"What's all this." He asks a little annoyed at the mess.

Clara jumped a bit not realizing anyone else was near.

"I didn't mean to frighten you." Stefan softly tells her.

Clara smiles, "Of course not, I am sorry. I am not yet use to these heightened senses I seem to only be able to focus on one at a time and right now my advanced reading comprehension muscles seem to be in command."

Stefan looked around seeing such titles as _Little Women,_ _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Red Badge of Courage, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Harriet the Moses of her People_ , and of course one of Damon's favorite's Jack London's _Call of the Wild_ , which she was currently engrossed in.

"Call of the Wild huh?"

Clara nods, "It's terrible what Buck is forced to go through."

Stefan studies her, "Surprised it's not Spitz who you identify with."

Clara sets down the book and looks as Stefan confused.

Stefan shrugs, "Just saying he and Damon have so much in common."

Clara now understanding the passive aggressive comment Stefan gave trying to needle her gets up and sits on the sofa motioning for him to sit down as well.

"Stefan, being new to this century and completely missing the last how about instead of trying to be clever and cutting you simply engage me in conversation?"

Stefan rolls his eyes, "Fine, look I don't know you but the Damon from his human days is drastically different to who he is now and a newbie vampire which for all purposes you are, is not exactly going to suddenly help stabilize and calm him. I care about the people in this town and I think it would be best for everyone if you left."

Clara is trying hard to control her temper, "How exactly would it be best for me? I am terrified, completely unknowledgeable of the times, the only thing I am a little familiar with would be the Salvatore lands. How does sending me and Damon off into that unknown help anyone but to stabilize and calm your own life?"

Stefan doesn't really have an answer for that but pushes through, "Look I sympathize with you, I do. But things are happening that I can't keep Damon out of for much longer, and eventually, that will catch up to you as well. I am trying to help you."

Clara studies Stefan now, "I will discuss it with Damon when he returns."

Stefan looks around, "Where is he, how come he isn't here with you?"

"He said he needed to go a few towns over for more blood bags."

"He doesn't have you out sucking down the townspeople yet?" He asks her letting his contempt for his brother show.

Clara squeezes her hands into fists and anchors herself to the sofa, "I don't know what happened between you and your brother but would you mind not coming and talking to me with so much hostility about the only person in the world I love? I am a newbie as you called it... there's only so much sarcasm, passive-aggressive taunts, and condescension I can take before this new heightened emotions get the better of me. That wouldn't lead to anything stabilizing or calm now would it?"

****Later that day once Damon has returned****

Elena walks into the Boarding house calling out for Stefan but instead, Damon comes rushing at her and drags her back outside.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" He asks her

"Have you? What the hell!" She says twisting herself out of Damon's grasp.

"Oh I don't know there happens to be a new old vampire inside who would turn homicidal if she was ever confronted with your face!" He shouts at her.

Elena closes her eyes, "Right, I forgot."

Damon smirks, "Just trying to keep you alive princess, wouldn't want Steffy brooding the rest of eternity of your untimely death."

"How very generous of you."

Damon shrugs, "I try, so what does the great Elena require today?"

"I found out who my birth mother is."

"Eccch. Who cares?"

Elena looks hurt but Damon can't bring himself to care to have enough on his plate. He looks over Elena to see Stefan pulling up.

"I thought we agreed it wouldn't be safe for you here," Stefan says.

Elena looks a little sheepish, "I know I forgot, I went to see Trudie Peterson."

[Stefan's face becomes stony.]

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't plan it."

Damon bored of whatever this is announces his exit, "Well this seems to have nothing to do with me... oh btw Stef next time you want to form a little book club with my wife make sure to invite me will ya, it sounded like a hoot!"

Once Damon is gone Stefan returns his focus to Elena.

"How was it?" He asks.

"She has vervain. She knows about vampire stuff, and it can't be a coincidence."

"It isn't. This is Alaric's wife." Stefan produces a photo he got from Alaric earlier.

"This is her. This is Isobel. He gave this to you?" Elena asks studying the photo.

"Everything he knows about vampires, he learned from her. He believes that she was killed by one."

"Oh, my god."

Stefan sighs, "Listen, Elena, there's a lot about Isobel that Alaric can tell you, but I need you to hold off a little while before you talk to him."

"Why?" Elena wants to know.

"I know that it's a lot to ask of you, but will you do that for me?"

Elena relents and agrees.


	5. A Few Good Brother in Laws Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Backing up a little to when Damon first came home.

"Honey, I'm home," Damon announces cheekily

"Hi, I finished all the books!." Clara says smiling.

Damon smiles back and brings her in for a kiss

"What'd you think?" He asks her.

Clara hums in contemplation, "Hated Little Women loved Call of the Wild."

Damon smirks, "Knew there was a reason I loved you, anything else happen while I was gone?" Damon noticed Clara purse her lips a little, a tell of hers.

"What?"

Clara looks down, "What happened with you and Stefan?"

Damon sighs and brings her in for a hug breathing in her scent.

"That is a very long complicated story." He tells her.

Clara wraps her arms around him, "Will you tell it to me someday?"

Damon kisses the top of her head, "Of course I will."

Clara thinks she hears something, someone, and is alarmed it almost sounded like Katherine. Damon distracts her by asking her to put away the blood bags and promises her its nothing and he'll explain later.

He zooms out and nearly throttles Elena for her stupidity in coming here. Luckily Stefan was not far behind her and he left the annoying emo love birds to it.

A little while later after Elena is gone Stefan comes downstairs to try and talk again to Damon.

"Where'd your wife go?" Stefan asks.

"I introduced her to internet shopping, she's trying to find clothes that appeal to her but won't draw a lot of questions like 'how many children are you trying to hide under your skirts.'"

Stefan pulls out the picture of Isobel and hands it to Damon, who looks at it with his usual smugness.

"This is the woman, Isobel, from North Carolina. Remember her now?"

"Who wants to know?" Damon asks.

"I do."

Damon narrows his eyes a bit and asks again.

"Who else wants to know?"

Stefan ignores the question, "Did you kill her?"

"Sorry. Don't know her."

Damon walks past Stefan and looks back at him.

"Better get going your gonna be late, give my best to The Real Housewives of Mystic Falls."

Damon retreats back upstairs to his bride leaving Stefan just as frustrated as before and no closer to finding the answers he needs.

 **Later at the Grill** Elena overhears Alaric questioning Stefan again over Damon tired of waiting for his revenge and realizes what must have happened to her birth mother.

Elena paces around outside the Grill. Stefan exits the Grill and approaches her. She turns to face him.

"Elena." Stefan calls out.

"He killed her?" Elena asks accusatorially, "Damon was the vampire that killed her?"

Stefan looks upon her sadly, "I don't know what happened. Alaric said that they never found the body."

Elena shakes her head, "Oh, my god. Stefan." She says close to tears.

"I know. I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you. But I just—I wanted to know more." He explains.

"I was feeling sorry that maybe I misjudged him.. that maybe all this time he was just grieving over being apart from the one he loved. I'm so stupid." Elena says chastising herself.

"He doesn't know about the connection to you. I thought about confronting him, but he has enough on his plate and while I hate to give him any credit he is actually doing a good job with Clara and keeping her under control, certainly better than with Vicki."

Elena narrows her eyes at him, "Why are you protecting him? Because the new vampire he brought home hasn't attacked anyone yet?! That doesn't make him a good person, Stefan!"

"Because you're not the only one hoping that he might actually change. That there might still be good in him."

Elena shakes her head slightly as she and Stefan look at each other. Elena looks over Stefan's shoulder and back up at him, but does a double take when she recognizes the man from earlier down the street.

"That man."

Stefan turns around and looks at the man, who watches them.

"I saw that man outside of Trudie's."

"Get back inside. Come on." He tells her pushing Elena back inside the Grill.

****Back at the Boarding House****

Damon and Clara are in bed naked and content.

"Mmm, maybe you don't need any new clothes I'll just keep you naked in my bed."

"Forever?" She asks giggling.

"Hmm there are worse ways to spend eternity."

Clara's face grows serious

"Before when you had me put the blood bags away, you were hiding something from me weren't you?"

Damon sighs,

"Yes, it's about Stefan's girlfriend."

Clara scrunches up her eyes brows. not understanding, "Why would you need to hide that? Is she human, is it not safe to meet her yet?"

Damon sighs, "She is human but that's not why I think it wouldn't be safe."

"Then why?"

Damon holds his breath and just tells her the truth, "Because she's the spitting image of Katherine."

"I don't understand? I mean how much could she really look like her?"

Damon reaches over for the long-discarded laptop on the floor by his side of the bed and pulls up Elena's facebook page.

The laptop doesn't survive much longer after Clara's hands angrily snatch the contraption out of Damon's lap trying to understand what she was just shown.

She is sitting up in bed seething as Damon tries to explain what they have figured out so far about Elena being adopted and possibly a descendant of Katherine's.

"Look just keep breathing and I'll be right back with some blood alright?"

Damon retrieves some blood from the cellar hoping it will help calm her down before he has to warn Stefan to get Elena out of town.

Damon walks across the parlor to quickly grab himself a drink before returning upstairs to talk his now volatile vampire wife off a ledge... man he hated this new role of caring and being responsible sometimes. Quietly, Alaric enters the room with a stake in his hand.

"Are you really this stupid?" Damon asks as he finishes pouring his drink and turns around to look at Alaric who is standing behind him. Seeing no desire to rethink his decision from Alaric, Damon is actually a little pleased he has an excuse to be a little bad tonight.

"Guess so." He says tilting his head a little.

Damon takes a drink, places his glass down, and vamp-runs at Alaric, throwing him across the room. Alaric lands on the floor, heavily, but quickly gets back up, ready to attack.

"You gonna put down the stake?"

But Alaric remains in an attacking stance.

"Wow. That's courage." or stupidity he thinks.

Damon walks towards Alaric.

"Where's Isobel? What have you done to my wife?"Alaric demands to know.

Damon smirks, "You want me to tell you I killed her? Would that make you happy? Because I think you know what happened."

"I saw you feeding on her."

Damon rolls his eyes, "Yeah, I did, and you know what? She was delicious."

Alaric rushes at Damon. Damon hits Alaric in the stomach and Alaric keels over falling back onto the floor.

"Oh, come on. What do you think happened? Not an inkling? Never considered the possibility?"

Alaric looks up at him.

"I turned her."

Alaric looks shocked, "Why?"

Damon pouts a little in mock sympathy, "She came to me. All pathetic, looking for vampires. There was something about her, something I liked. There was something special."

Alaric looks at him incredulously, "You turned her because you liked her?" He asks completely baffled by the idea.

"No, I slept with her because I liked her. I turned her because she begged me to. Yeah. But you knew that, too, didn't you? Hmm. I guess she wasn't happy at home, wasn't happy with life in general, wasn't happy with you."

He knows he's just provoking him now but he really needed to let off some steam and if things kept going like this it would likely be resolved by talking, something that did not fit into his evening plans.

Alaric rushes at Damon again, but Damon grabs the stake from Alaric's hands and stabs him in the chest, puncturing his lung. Alaric yells in pain.

"Ah, this is a shame. a week ago I would have said we were kindred spirits, but alas my love has returned to me... sucks to be you."

Damon removes the stake from Alaric's chest. Alaric wheezes.

"Sounds like I got a lung. Which means I get to sit here and watch you die."

"Damon?" Looks up and sees Clara on the stairs having witness his brutality.


	6. A Few Good Brother in Laws Pt. 3

Damon is shocked to hear her voice turning to see her standing on the landing of the stairs looking over the scene.

Damon tosses Alaric to the floor. Alaric gasps for air and places his hands over his wound. Damon throws the stake down, grabs his drink, and sits down on the sofa as he watches Alaric take one last breath before he dies.

"Guess it was only a matter of time huh? Before you saw the real me. Get a good look? Or do you need to see more?"

"She's seen enough," Stefan speaks announcing himself

Damon rolls his eyes

"What is this _Guess who's Coming to Dinner_?"

Damon takes a swig from his glass as he looks at Alaric's dead body. Stefan walks into the room and looks at Alaric. He rushes over to the body and kneels down next to it, checking for a pulse. Clara still stands by the stairs her face frozen in shock.

"What happened? What did you do?!" Stefan cries.

"Do what? He attacked me." Damon replies.

Stefan sits up and looks at Damon.

"Damon." He says in a way that demands he tells him the whole truth.

Damon huffs, "All I did was tell him the truth. His wife didn't want him anymore. It's not my fault he couldn't handle it."

Stefan narrows his eyes at his brother, "Like how you're gonna handle it when Clara wakes up and realizes being with you is a sentence no one should have to serve!"

"You know what? Isobel came to me. She found me. And if she's related to Elena, that means she's related to Katherine. Maybe Katherine sent her to me..."

Before he can say another word Clara speaks up

"ENOUGH!" Both of the Salvatore's are shocked by her outburst.

"The both of you just enough! I don't know what happened between the two of you but it's enough all of this hate and hostility just stop!" She walks into the room and grabs the blood bags Damon was supposed to be getting for her.

"Damon, you'll be finding someplace else to sleep tonight, Stefan [points to Alaric] I'm assuming you'll take care of this. The two of you will be present for breakfast sharply at 7 or so help me I will burn this house down!" With that, she leaves leaving them speechless.

Damon gets up and leaves the room. Stefan, exhausted by Damon's actions and then being scolded like a school boy sits down next to Alaric's body. Suddenly, Stefan sees Alaric's fingers move. He furrows his brow and leans over Alaric. Suddenly, Alaric gasps back to life, panting heavily. He sits up, confused.

"What happened? What's going on?"

Stefan is shocked, "You were just...Did Damon turn you?"

Alaric shakes his head, "No. I - I went for him and then he, uh-- he stabbed me."

"No, no, no. You must have vampire blood in your system. Somebody slipped it to you."

Alaric flexes his fingers "No. It's, uh, it's something else."

"Then how?" Stefan asks not knowing how else Alaric could be alive.

"I, uh..." Alaric looks down at the ring on his right hand.

"Isobel."

****The next morning****

Breakfast was extremely tense. Clara arrived a minute after seven and luckily both Salvatore men chose to show up on time and were waiting for her.

"Stefan you and I are going to spend the day together, you are going to teach me how to hunt." She says informing her brother in law.

"What?!" Damon asks completely shocked by her demand.

Clara takes a deep breath and places both her palms on the table to stabilize herself,

"Damon, last night you implied that being with me was a burden, that you were not free to be who you really are now because you have to put on a show to make sure I stay with you. You are going to spend today thinking about that and how you would feel if you learned the love of your life is with you out of obligation and duty and then you are going to come up with something brilliant to make it up to me because I HAVE NEVER JUDGED YOU OR TURNED YOU AWAY AND YOU WILL NOT TREAT ME LIKE SOME HAPLESS GIRL YOU ARE STUCK WITH UNTIL SHE FINALLY WISES UP!"

After a few seconds of letting the dust clear Clara continues...

"Now that we all have an itinerary for today I will return to my books and continue to catch up and Stefan I will expect you to be ready to go at sundown, if not I will come looking for you and you don't want that. Good day gentlemen."

Clara left the kitchen leaving the two Salvatore brothers in shocked silence. Finally, Stefan spoke up.

"So that's your wife?" Stefan asks.

"Yup."


	7. Stefan and Clara's Day Out

Stefan was annoyed he let himself be roped into... whatever this was. Clara seemed nice enough but he just didn't have time to play happy families with everything else going on. He showed her how to hunt a rabbit how much longer was he required to stay out here with her.

"You don't like me very much do you?" Clara asked

Stefan sighed... "I don't really know you."

"Oh so you treat every new acquaintance with this much hostility?"

Stefan rolled his eyes feeling fed up "Look I am sure you are a nice person but-"

"Well why do I get the impression you'd rather not spend the time to find out yourself?"

Stefan didn't really have anything to say to that

Clara took a deep breath and decided to jump straight to the point, "Is this about Damon? Why are you so angry with him?"

Stefan stopped walking, "Look you have no idea who Damon is anymore... what he's done."

"Alright, so tell me," Clara said gesturing with her arms

Stefan shook his head no.

"Why?" Clara asked, "why don't you just tell me, tell me every horrible thing he has ever done. Chase me away if that is what you are so desperate to do."

Stefan looked torn not knowing how to respond

"What... how bad is it? I know he has killed and I saw in person how merciless he can be. Has he hurt children?" she asked meekly.

Stefan nodded yes.

Clara had to swallow some bile that threatened to rise up, "I'll admit that makes me feel sick. Have you hurt children?"

Stefan seemed shocked by the question but timidly nodded yes.

"Has he... has he ever forced himself on a woman." She asked.

"Not counting compulsion to take their fear away after seeing his face turn no I do not believe so."

Clara was very relieved to hear that, "Has he ever done something you yourself are not also guilty of?"

Stefan looked away from her, "No but its different I know how much of a monster I have been and I torture myself every day with that knowledge and strive as hard as I can to be different, to be better. Damon... he revels in his darkness."

Clara was silent for a bit collecting her thoughts.

"That's what really bothers you about him isn't it?"

"What?" Stefan asks

"That Damon can be at peace with both sides of himself, the good and bad. That he isn't constantly fighting the darkest part of himself, that he doesn't live with this fear that he will lose control."

Stefan turned away from Clara and closed his eyes almost as if in pain.

"I'm sorry," Clara tells him, "that must be awful. I don't know you very well even if I was around you when we were human I only know what Damon has told me but I know that he loves you."

Stefan scoffs at this, "Damon doesn't love anyone but himself."

Clara grabs Stefan's arm and forces him to face her, "Remember when you used to play hide and seek?"

Stefan was confused for a moment but then nodded not knowing where she could possibly be going with this.

"He would warn you every time to stay out of your father's study, make you swear to go nowhere near it. And yet every time you would go in. You might not have been completely aware back then but you must know now what your father would do to Damon, how harsh and cruel he could be and yet Damon would always risk punishment to come find you and make sure you were never caught inside your father's office. No matter what you two go through you must know if you were ever in danger Damon would still always come for you. I am not trying to justify his wrongdoings but surely someone capable of that is worth still having hope in."

Stefan thought about what Clara said. It was true Damon would get the worst of their father's temper and had as children tried to protect him from it but that Damon died a long time ago and he kind of felt bad for Clara that she  thought that Damon still existed and yet he was also a little jealous of her ability to naively see things in such a way.

A sound of a branch snapping caught Stefan's attention but it was too late he and Clara were quickly surrounded and captured.

****Elsewhere at the Gilbert Residence****

Elena's phone is ringing. She notices it's Damon and ignores it. She hears a knock on the door and answers it. Damon enters.

"You're ignoring me." He complains.

Elena shrugs, "The 6 missed calls? Sorry. My phone is dead."

"Is Stefan here?" Damon asks not having time for their usual banter.

"No. Why? Something wrong?" Elena asks suddenly taking Damon's appearance at her home much more seriously.

"He went out with Clara in the woods and didn't come back. I can't get him on his phone. I am starting to get worried."

The sincerity in Damon's eyes alerted Elena this might be serious and she immediately tried calling Stefan herself, "It's going straight to voice-mail. Where could he be?"

Damon sighed, "You're not going to like what I'm thinking."

"What?" Elena asks

"I heard someone called you Katherine the other day... the only people I know who would confuse you for your ancient ancestor are some very old, very pissed off vampires."

 ****The Basement in Miss Pearl's Farmhouse** Stefan and Clara are tied up with Vervain ropes with a very angry Frederick.**

"Ugh!" Stefan moans in pain

Frederick walks up to him with a soliloquy already prepared, "145 years left starving in a tomb, thanks to Katherine's infatuation with you and your brother. First few weeks, every single nerve in your body screams with fire. The kind of pain that can drive a person mad... Clara can attest to that running straight back into the arms of the one who tossed her aside certainly qualifies as mad. Well...I thought your brother might want to get a taste of that kind of pain before I killed him. Billy! "

Billy stabs Stefan with a stake.

"Uhh! Aah!" Stefan cries out again this time in more pain

"Look just... hurt me all you want but let her go, She was in there with you, she doesn't deserve this." He tells them hoping to spare Clara this pain.

Frederick pretends to think about it for a minute, "Mmmm, I don't think so. You both have a nice day."

****Outside the Farm House****

Elena is sitting in Damon's car. She sees him approaching and gets out.

"What happened? Where is he?" She asks frantically.

"They have THEM" He stresses not liking Elena left out his wife when expressing her concern. "I can't get in."

"Why not?"

"Because the woman who owns the house is compelled to not let me in," Damon explains to her.

"I can get in." She says determinedly.

"You're not going in there." He says bursting her delusional bubble.

"I'm going!"

"You're not going in there!" He shouts getting more firm with her.

Elena shakes her head in despair, "Why are they doing this? What do they want with him?"

Damon grits his jaw, "Revenge. They want revenge."

"We gotta do something," Elena tells him.

"I know."

"We can't let them hurt him. We gotta get him out of there."

Suddenly Damon slams Elena against the car shocking her.

"I get that you're scared, I get that you're upset, but forget to include my wife in your concerns one more time and I won't be responsible for my actions!"

Elena gulped, usual only witnessing this side of Damon directed at others and not herself.

"I am scared to Elena, I know, trust me I am not lacking the motivation to get in there and save them both but I don't know how to get them out."

****The Cellar of the Farmhouse****

"He'll come for us, you know, he'll save us," Clara tells Stefan trying to be reassuring.

"Glad you have so much faith in my brother," Stefan says dryly,

"Look, Clara, I know you have this image of Damon from when he was human and I can tell you all of the atrocities he's committed but you clearly have a very big blind spot when it comes to him. the facts are we are tied up in a house with dozens of angry vampires, Damon doesn't stand a chance with those odds and he knows that. Even if some part of him does love you he is not going to risk certain death to save us."

Clara is quiet for a while before finally speaking, "You're wrong about so many things the first you're wrong that I have a blind spot."

Stefan scoffs at this

Clara takes a deep breath to control her temper,

"I believe that if you are unable to stand by someone when they are at their worst then you have no right to enjoy yourself with that someone when they're at their best and Damon at his best is my favorite person, and I think he is yours too. And that doesn't make me blind or naïve it means I know how to love, how to love all of someone and not just the convenient parts. He will find a way he won't leave us here. I know it."

Stefan was quiet after that, part of him agreed with her Damon at his best had been one of his favorite people for a long time he thought the world of his older brother but he had been taken in and let down by Damon so many times in the past that he just couldn't allow himself to get his hopes up, not again. But for Clara's sake, he hoped this one time Damon would surprise him.

****Mystic Falls High School****

Alaric is walking down the hallway when Damon appears. He stops in his tracks at seeing the man who very recently killed him.

Damon saunters up to him, "Well, don't you look...alive?"

"You can't hurt me," Alaric tells him,

Damon gets a sinister smile on his face, "Oh, I can hurt you, all right."

Elena catches up to Damon rolling her eyes that he is wasting time with theatrics.

"Mr. Saltzman. We need your help."

They go into Alaric's classroom to talk, Elena continues to try an appeal to Alaric, "Stefan.... and a woman named Clara (Elena was quick to include her this time, not wanting Damon in her face again) are being held in this house. Damon's a vampire. He can't get in. We need you. I would go, but..."

Damon decides to jump in and cut to the chase, "But your life is valuable... to my brother at least. Yours, on the other hand, is..."

Elena is really thinking she should have come to ask for Alaric's help by herself Damon is being his usual unhelpful self she's not sure why she thought now would be any different.

"Stefan told me about your ring." Elena lets Alaric know.

"What about it?" He responds somewhat testily,

"Let me recap...You tried to kill me. I defended myself. You died. Then according to my brother, your ring brought you back to life. Am I leaving anything out?" Damon asks.

"Yeah. The part where I try and kill you again. Only this time, I don't miss." Taunts Alaric.

"Mr. Saltzman. Please. It's Stefan."Elena pleads.

"I'm sorry, Elena. But it's not my problem."

"That's a shame... because the woman in charge of the crowd can help you find your wife," Damon says tempting the teacher turned hunter to accept tonight's adventure.

"You're lying."

Damon tilts his head, "Am I? Why don't you ask her for yourself?"

Alaric knows he'll always wonder what if and reluctantly agrees to help, "All right. I'll go."

****Miss Gibbons' Residence****

Alaric knocks on the door. Frederick answers it.

"Oh, good, someone's home. Uh, could I use your phone? My car broke down a few miles up the road. This was the first house I saw."

"Well, lucky you."

"Yeah. Lucky me. It's no trouble, is it?" Alaric asks starting to feel like the chick in the opening of a horror flick.

"Not in the slightest."

"Great. Whew. Hey, man, I really appreciate it. It's rough out there."

Frederick moved aside to let him in, "Billy, show our visitor where the phone is in the kitchen. And get me something to drink."

"Yeah. Sure thing. Hey, Miss Gibbons, this guy wants to use your phone."

"Oh, sure, honey. It's right there." She shows Alaric,

Alaric walks towards the phone, Billy comes at him with a stake but Alaric is too quick for him and grabs the stake and stabs him with it. Alaric turns on the faucet and starts the blender to create noise.

"What's happening?" Mrs. Gibbons says panicked,

"I'm really sorry." Alaric tells her, "But you're gonna need to invite a friend of mine inside."

Alaric opens the door and Damon is standing outside waiting.

"Oh, I'm sorry. He's not allowed in the house."

"I know that. But you've gotta make an exception." Alaric tells her gently.

"Get her out of the house. Now!" Damon demands.

Alaric hurries the kind older woman outside.

Damon grabs her and forces her to look into his eyes, "Miss Gibbons, tell me the truth. Are you married?" He asks/compels

"No."

"Parents, children, anyone else who lives on this property?"

"No. It's just me." She tells him.

"No? Good." Damon says and breaks her neck promptly entering the house,

"You were supposed to compel her!" Alaric whisper-shouts at Damon.

"It doesn't work that way..." Damon responds completely unbothered by what he's just done or that the new vampire hunter seems upset with him for it.

"She is human." he cries.

"And I'm not!" Damon throws back at him, "So, I don't care. Now, get out of here. And get rid of the body!"

Frederick still waiting for his drink tells another vampire to go see what is up. He enters the kitchen and turns off the sink and blender. He approaches the pantry. Damon opens the door and stakes him.

Alaric runs back to the car. He opens the door and sees Elena isn't there. He grabs his bag and leaves.

"Damn it, Elena!"

Elena runs past the door and goes down a staircase that leads to the cellar. She tries to open the door, but it is locked. She busts out one of the windowpanes, unlocks the door and opens it. A man is standing guard by a door at the end of the hallway. Elena gets her vervain syringe out and is ready to attack, but Damon gets to the man first. He sees Elena.

"Are you insane!" Damon asks shocked at her level of stupidity to come in here.

****Downstairs****

Stefan and Clara are still trapped in the cellar.

Stefan looks over the Clara, 

He clears his throat, "Thank you... for trying to help mend me and Damon. I'm glad he got to be married to you, I am sorry I didn't get to know you back then ."

Clara shook her head, "Don't start saying your goodbyes already Stefan. He'll come, I'm sure of it."

Stefan wished he could have such unwavering faith in anyone the way Clara had in Damon. He was starting to feel that way about Elena and he desperately wanted to get back to her.

"I am sorry me making you hunt with me got us taken."

Stefan smiled sadly, "It's OK They just needed somebody to blame. Someone to punish. It's you who doesn't deserve to be here."

Clara gave Stefan a sympathetic smile at that, disappointed it took so much to finally start bonding them.

Elena and Damon enter the cellar. Shocking Stefan.

"Elena...You shouldn't be here..." He tells her.

"She was supposed to stay in the car," Damon tells him hoping to shame Elena some.

It was Damon! He came, Stefan was touched that his brother came through for him and Clara, granted he would've been happier if he had left Elena at home.

"There's vervain on the ropes." He tries to warn Damon but his brother has already rushed over to help Clara. Damon ignores his burning skin and tears Clara free of her restraints.

"Elena, pull that," Damon instructs Elena on how to let down Stefan as he is still busy fussing over his wife clutching her to him making sure she really is still here.

"Unh!" Stefan moans in pain sore from being strung up all night.

"All right, let's go," Damon tells them all.

"Wait," Stefan calls realizing he can't move too well with his injuries.

"What? Guys, come on. We have to get out of here."

Damon turns to Clara who is in better shape than Stefan.

"Can you get them (nodding to Stefan and Elena) to the car?"

Clara shakes her head hating that idea, "I don't want to leave you!"

Damon groans knowing it's the last thing he wants either but Stefan is in no condition to fight and he really needs to get both her and Elena to safety.

He rests his forehead against hers and strokes her earlobes calming himself down with how soft they are

"God I know baby, I don't want you away from me either but I won't be able to concentrate on staying alive if I'm worried about you and my brother... and the human."

Clara accepts this taking in a deep breath and kissing her husband firmly on the lips

"Alright, I'll get them to the car." She promises

"Good, all right Elena knows where it is, right?"

Elena nods, "Yeah."

"All right, go."

"What about you?" Elena asks,

"I'll distract. Go!"

****Upstairs****

Frederick realizes something is amiss, "Spread out. Now. You two, back of the house. Go. Check out both rooms. Cellar, now!"

****Woods****

Clara is carrying Stefan to the car and Elena is leading the way constantly looking back over her shoulder at Stefan worriedly.

"it's all right I've got him just focused ahead on where you're leading us." Clara tries to warn her but its too late as Elena trips on a rock giving herself a nasty cut.

"You okay?" Stefan asks concerned for his girlfriend.

Elena gets up and dusts herself off, "Yeah. Come on, keep going."

****Miss Gibbons' Residence****

Frederick sees another staked vampire in the dining room. Damon catches him by surprise. They fight. Damon gets Frederick on the floor and starts punching him. Furious he dared put his hands on his wife.

Two vampires come up from behind and pull Damon off. Frederick leaves. The vampires and Damon start fighting. One of them approaches Damon from behind. Damon doesn't see him, but Alaric shoots at the vampire with a dart.

Damon slightly shocked Alaric had his back after everything quickly shakes it off.

"I'm going after Frederick!" Damon announces,

****Woods****

Finally, the 3 battered misfits arrive at the car.

"Come on, it's right over here." Elena calls finally seeing something that looks familiar.

Clara puts Stefan in the car and Elena goes around to the driver's side but She sees the ignition has been removed.

"Uh guys..." Elena starts to say but before Clara or Stefan can ask what the problem is Frederick busts the window on Stefan's side out and drags him out startling Clara who had just climbed in the back seat.

Frederick starts beating Stefan and stabs him with a branch.

"This is for the tomb."

Elena is screaming afraid for Stefan but in a flash Clara has escaped the car and snapped Fredericks neck ending any further damage to Stefan.

"That's the first time I've done something like that, did I do it correctly?" She asks Elena.

"Yeah, he's down I think you did it right."

Elena now turns her attention back to "Stefan..."

Elena sits down next to Stefan after racing over to his crumpled form.

"It's alright," Clara tells her, "he'll be alright. now we just have to wait for Damon."

****Back at the house****

Alaric is reloading his dart gun. A vampire attacks him. They wrestle to the ground. Alaric stabs him with a vervain syringe.

Damon comes back into the hallway, "Frederick's gone."

Alaric nods, "Let's get out of here."

Damon and Alaric go to exit the house but stop as they see many more vampires approaching.

"How many of those vervain darts do you have left?" Damon asks.

"One." Alaric answers.

"Not gonna be enough."

"So, what you said to get me to do this, about my wife. It was a lie, wasn't it?" Alaric asks.

"Yep." Damon tells him.

Pearl steps forward, "Stop! What's going on here? What did you do?"

"Me?!" Damon asks affronted, "Your merry little band of vampires spent the day torturing my brother and WIFE!"

Pearl sighs, "Trust me. The parties responsible for this will be dealt with, This wasn't supposed to happen."

Damon narrows his eyes at her, "Well, it did. If I had a good side...Not a way to get on it."

Damon and Alaric are able to leave without another fight.

****In the Woods by the car****

Frederick is regaining his strength while Clara and Elena are busy tending to Stefan. He grabs another branch and walks towards them. Stefan notices and gets up and pins Frederick to a tree. He takes the branch from Frederick and repeatedly stabs him in the heart. Shocking Clara and disturbing Elena.

"Stefan. Stefan!" Elena tries to make Stefan stop. Stefan turns around, his face is still in its vampire form. Elena is frightened by him. Stefan stops. He looks horrified at what Elena has witnessed of him.

Clara isn't that concerned with what is brewing between them just thankful Stefan put a permanent stop to Frederick and anxiously awaiting Damon's return.

Finally, she sees him walking towards with the man who died in their parlor the other day, ignoring the last part she races to him and jumps into his arms causing him to groan a little from fresh injuries but he ignores any pain and grabs her face for a passionate kiss.

Stefan witnesses this and can't help but be a little jealous at how seemingly solid and uncomplicated their relationship is.

Damon breaks away from Clara and turns to Alaric, "That was fun. Oh, don't look at me like that. I know you hate me. Guess what? Everyone hates me, except for this one(gesturing to Clara) But you can't deny it. We were badass."

Alaric punches him still upset Damon used him by lying about his missing wife.

Later at the boarding house, the sun has risen and after passionately and enthusiastically reconnecting with Clara, Damon goes to check on Stefan.

Damon enters Stefan's room. He sees blood bags that are empty. Then he sees Stefan sitting on the floor, drinking from another bag.


	8. Under Control

**Boarding House, Damon's Bedroom:**

Damon and Clara lay together in bed naked and panting trying to catch their breath.

They had been at it all morning, ever since before dawn when they got home from the torture farmhouse. It had gotten pretty out of control, they were vicious almost with each other. They had made love since reuniting and had some fun sex but this was different, it was raw... animalistic.

It was a side Damon had never seen of Clara, frankly, he was surprised his wife had it in her.

"What are you thinking about so hard over there?" Clara asks,

Damon smirks, "Oh just the way my wife attacked me earlier."

"attacked?" Clara gasps indignant that was the word he used.

Damon gives her a serious look, "At one point you bit into my stomach, hard... how would you describe that?"

Clara has to roll her eyes a little, "Alright so the events of last night might have gotten both of us a little carried away."

"Carried away? Face it, my darling wife, you would have cut me open and crawled inside me last night if I'd have let you." Damon taunts her.

But Clara isn't so offended with the idea, "Hmm, that doesn't sound so bad actually, should I find a blade?"

Damon laughs and pounces on her securing her arms over her head.

"What am I going to do with you?" he asks, his voice dripping with sexuality and passion,

Clara smiles up at him, "Ravish me, again and again, for the rest of our lives."

Damon smiles and hopes for nothing more for the two of them. But he needed to talk seriously with Clara before he broke any more furniture with her.

"I am sorry... about yesterday. You were right, I let my stupid insecurities get to me and I lashed out, tried to push you away. But I don't want you away, ever. I am just scared I am gonna screw up either not thinking or on purpose and I'll lose you. I can't lose you now that I've had you again. I wouldn't survive that."

Clara still restrained couldn't stroke Damon's cheek like how she wished to comfort him but carried on anyway.

"I don't want to have to keep proving myself to you, or my love. You should know those to be the surest things by now. But if I have to I will... It will just lead to a very irritable wife and a lot less sex but if that is what you require I will always pass any test you give me, I just wish you didn't feel the need to try our love so. It makes me fear you are not sure of it. You have been with many other women since thinking me deceased... are you sure this isn't a ploy to run away from me and into someone else's arms?"

Damon growled at that, "Never!" He was furious she could even think of something so blasphemous.

"That anger, that feeling of frustration and complete incomprehension of something so against what you know in your bones to be true. That disappointment and hurt that I could think so low of you... that's what you did to me earlier. You think I don't have a hundred questions about all the women who came after me? That I don't want to hunt them down and wipe them from the earth? I chose not to because my faith in you is stronger than any petty insecurities niggling at the back of my head."

Damon sighs, "I understand. I am sorry, I actually thought of a way to make it up to you,"

"Really, how?" Clara asks eagerly.

"Nuh uh," Damon shakes his head, "Its a surprise... it'll take some time I'll have to make it myself, but trust me it will be worth it."

"I love surprises, I am bursting with excitement now!"

Damon loved seeing Clara's face light up like that, and he felt such pride being the reason behind her joy. He wasted no time in claiming her lips again... along with the rest of her for yet another round.

**Downstairs in the Cellar:**

Stefan looked around at all the empty blood bags that littered the ground before reluctantly bringing a fresh one to his lips unable to resist. He was sure drinking Elena's blood was the right decision last night but now as he saw how he had awoken his uncontrollable beast, he regretted what he had done... and what he might be guilty of doing soon.

**Gilbert House:**

Elena opens the door about to leave for school and is surprised by her uncle.

"Elena!" he greets her with excessive enthusiasm.

"Uncle John! Hi." Elena greets back a little suspicious.

Jenna comes to the door, "John, you made it." She says dryly,

"I said I'll be here before noon." He explains as he enters the house. not bothering to be asked inside.

"Oh, well what you say and what you do are typically two very different things." Jenna remarks snidely,

Next Jeremy comes down the stairs.

"Uncle John, what's up?" Jeremy asked genuinely happy to see his father's brother.

"Hey!" John replies happily at least one member of his family doesn't seem to mind his presence.

 ****Back at the boarding house.** Damon is awoken from a blissful post sex coma by loud obnoxious music coming from his brother's room.

Ughhh "What the hell is he doing?" 

Clara flips over and buries her head under the pillow,

"If you don't go stop whatever that noise is, I'll go to Stefan's room myself and snap his neck. I did it last night, well it wasn't Stefan's neck but I believe my skill will work on him just the same."

Damon is halfway out the bed when he hears this piece of news, "We're coming back to this story."

Damon reluctantly leaves his bed and delicious wife, ready to _completely_ remove Stefan's head from his body if it will get him back to Clara sooner.

Damon enters Stefan's room.

"Could you turn it up a little bit? It's not annoying yet." Damon shouts over the speakers.

"Sorry," Stefan says distractedly continuing with his exercises.

Damon switches off the music.

"I know we all had quite the party last night, but its Tuesday... shouldn't you be in school?"

"Soon," Stefan tells him, he is on the floor, doing push-ups.

"Okay as much as I enjoy watching you turn into a more annoying Richard Simmons let me float a theory out here... Noticed when we were leaving last night Elena had a wound on her wrist and since you were in remarkably bad shape the last I saw you tied up and then by the car without so much as a scratch I am gonna go out on a limb and guess Elena made a misguided donation? And now you are trying to feel the burn anywhere but the back of your throat... am I close?"

Stefan ignores his brother so Damon tries a gentler approach even if it makes his skin crawl to be all touchy feely.

Damon sucks down a deep breath, "Okay look, it was just one time, its gonna be fine, you don't need to keep yourself locked away in your room trying to sweat out the Elena toxins, come on she couldn't have tasted that bad... or was it that good? And now you trying everything not to go over to her and tap another vein."

Yes, that was Damon being sensitive... it had been awhile and he was still a little rusty.

"Just shut up alright, shut the music off, go back to your blissful sex bubble, and NEVER mention Elena to me again."

"Fine!" Damon shouts back, "bored with the concerned brother act anyway."

Damon goes down to the cellar to grab some lunch for him and Clara but finds the fridge empty... At first, he thinks Clara is responsible but he could very happily attest to her whereabouts earlier and knew she couldn't have snuck off to drink this much.

Ahh so it was Stefan, and Elena's wrist was not a one time thing, his little brother had gone off the deep end again and surely the ripper would be making an appearance soon. Sooo not what they needed right now.

He goes back up to Stefan's room, Stefan is annoyed at the sight of Damon reappearing in his room interrupting his work out.

"How long did it take you to wean yourself off it the last time you indulged? I saw the empty fridge, did you really think I wouldn't check?"

Stefan pauses his push-ups briefly.

"I'll be fine; it just takes a little bit of time." Pushing away Damon's concerns... and some of his own.

"And if only a couple bags were missing I might buy that, but clearly one taste had you on a binge to rival this town's collective cheerleaders! I don't get it; you know, you don't have to drink until you feel like Violet Beauregarde being rolled out the chocolate factory. One or two bags will do, you can always get more you're not gonna starve. You can even drink from a human without have to drink until you rip their head off. I'd be happy to show you, I haven't drunk from a human since... wow its been way too long."

"Oh, I'm impressed," Stefan said sarcastically.

"It's completely self-serving. I'm trying to get the town off the trail of vampires which is not very easy considering that there is an entire tomb of them running around."

"And who's fault is that?" Stefan asks sarcastically,

"I feel like you want me to say its mine?" Damon asks confused,

"It is your fault Damon! you gave them blood when you didn't find Katherine in there before you found Clara, you woke them up!"

"Alright that might have been a little shortsighted of me but can't we just move on already, figure out a way to solve this problem instead of assigning blame?" He asks Stefan.

"What are we planning on doing about that?" Stefan cautiously asks,

"We are not going to do much of anything if you don't have your strength. There's nothing wrong with partaking in a healthy diet of human blood from a blood bank. You're not actually killing anyone. But if you are gonna be on the bag diet, I will be your dealer, you will only be getting 3 a day. I can't have you on ripper mode right now."

"I am not coming to you everytime I'm hungry," Stefan says bristling at the idea of his brother having that much power over him.

"Of course not, I don't want to see you that many times a day, I'll give you your rations in the morning and it'll be up to you to space them out." Damon so lovingly explains,

"And whats to stop me from taking as many as I want out of our supply?" Stefan asks.

"Well, once I run the task of restocking they will be hidden in another location, one I do not plan on sharing with you."

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you? Watching me struggle?"

"Very much so." Damon isn't too proud to admit.

"I hate to break it to you Damon but...I actually have it under complete control."

Damon is skeptical, "You do? Well, then you should just carry on, making the rest of us vampires look bad."

Damon gets up and leaves, "Have a great day, Stefan."

Damon was saying goodbye to Clara for the day, there was a founder's council he needed to attend and also blood bags to restock.

"I hate when you leave, its boring being locked up here all day." Clara pouted making Damon feel guilty for leaving her.

"I know I'm sorry, I might have burned some bridges in the witch community when I killed Bree, so I am still working on securing you a daylight ring, but I promise you won't be trapped here much longer okay?

"Okay." Clara replied trying to stow any childish histrionics she currently felt bubbling inside. These new heightened emotions were a bitch... slang was odd to pick up but she was trying to incorporate it so her speech seemed more natural even in just her thoughts.

"There's my girl." Damon said and leaned over giving her a sweet firm kiss.

**Gilbert House:**

Elena is in her bedroom with Stefan.

Elena explains to Stefan about what Alaric told her about Jeremy's paper.

"Why would he write a report on vampires? Do you think he's starting to remember?" Elena worriedly asks,

"Damon took away those memories for good, you don't have to worry about that. I tell you what, why don't you just ask him?"

"I...I can't." Elena says shaking her head.

"Why not? I mean if he doesn't know anything then it's just an innocent question." Stefan points out.

Elena sighs, "I don't even know how to talk to him anymore. I mean, we used to be a lot more open with each other. But now, with all these secrets just piling up...You know, I haven't even told him that I am adopted yet."

"Maybe it's time you start opening up to him. I'm not saying you should tell him everything but at least try to find out what he does know and be prepared for it."

She rubs his shoulder thinking about it, "What about you, how are you doing?"

"Much, much better. Thank you for what you did for me that night, coming to my rescue, trusting me to drink from you. I wish you were never put it that situation. I hate that you saw me behave so monstrously. I am sorry, human blood- it's just best I stay away from it, you wouldn't like me if I kept drinking it."

"Well, it was just that one time, right?" She asks thinking the answer is obvious and reassuring, 

"Yeah... just to save us. But its hard getting a taste and knowing I can't have more, its just hard." Stefan tries to explain.

"You know you can always talk to me right? And not just about this, I mean I don't even know what you and Clara went through, it must have been horrible. I've been really worried about you."

"It wasn't that bad actually. I mean the torture part sucked but I'm glad I got to know Clara better, she's so unlike Damon it astounds me. I can't begin to understand what drew those two together in the first place... but I actually think I might like having her as a sister in law."

Elena is surprised by this, "Wow, really? So what's she like?"

"I know its surprising, and she is just genuinely sweet, believing the best in everyone. She's brave too. She never let it show when she was in pain and Damon told me she actually signed up as a nurse for the war so she wouldn't lose him. Definitely not like any lady I remember from back then."

"Wow, that's intense," Elena remarks,

"Yeah, just wish her and Damon had a sound proofed room, or that sound proofing had the technology to protect vampire hearing because her and Damon constantly going at it makes me want to jab stakes through my own ear drums."

Elena shivers slightly disgusted, "Eeek, you can't just ask them to keep it down?"

"I am afraid that might only spur Damon on." Stefan admits, 

"Yeah, it probably would." Elena agrees seeing his point,

"But you don't have to worry about me okay?"

"Okay" The two start kissing telling each other how much they missed one another even though Stefan was only absent one day,

The kissing starts getting more passionate, Stefan lays Elena down on the bed. Elena rolls over and lays on top of Stefan. Stefan, somewhat aggressively, rolls her back over so he's on top. He stops kissing her. 

"Stefan, what's wrong? Stefan?"

His face starts transforming. He throws himself back against the wall, breaking a lamp in the process.

He takes off through her window.

It was official Elena was worried. She wasn't sure what possessed her to do it but she called Damon and asked him to come over.

about 20 minutes later there is a knock on the door. It's Damon,

"Oh good, you're here." Elena says relieved pulling him in,

"I had something I needed to discuss with you too." He tells her,

They go up to her room, he goes to her bed, takes the teddy bear off the pillow, lays on her bed and holds the teddy bear on his chest.

"Did you know that your uncle has been kicking it with the Founders' Council?"

"What?" Elena asks upset and surprised.

"Yep."

Elena grabs at her hair frustrated, "Perfect, we'll just add it to the growing list of how everything is falling apart."

Damon notices the broken lamp and points an arm of the teddy bear towards it.

"What happened right there?" He asks,

"Uh...nothing." Elena poorly deflects,

Damon decides to push past the obvious lie, "So you asked me over to discuss nothing?"

She seems uncomfortable. He gives her a look to just get to it.

Taking a deep breath Elena starts, "Look Damon, I'm worried about Stefan. He says that everything's okay but he's clearly struggling. How long is it gonna take before he goes back to normal?"

"A few days, give or take." Damon shrugs,

"It's been a few days," Elena argues not appreciating how unconcerned Damon is acting.

"Its been two, two counts as a couple, have to have at least three to qualify as a few...look I don't know, I tried offering my services he didn't want my help. What's the big deal, is this really over a lamp?" Damon asks.

"He's not himself, Damon."

Damon rolls his eyes, "Well, maybe his problem is that he has spent too long not being himself." He can see Elena still look unsatisfied with his responses, "It is what it is Elena. The Stefan you know was good behavior Stefan, 'reign it in Stefan, fight against his nature into an annoying excessive level Stefan, but if you think there isn't another part to this then you have not been paying attention."

But Elena is not ready to accept that answer, "He's not you, not even close."

"Well, he doesn't want to be me. That doesn't mean that deep down though he's not. and as much as I've enjoyed this tete a tete, I have an eager bride at home waiting for me."

"You might want to give her the night off, maybe at least for Stefan's sake," Elena calls after a retreating Damon.

**Boarding House:**

Stefan is looking for a book. He seems to be stressed. He roughly pours himself a glass of whiskey and drinks it.

Clara comes down and sees Stefan acting erratic.

"Is everything alright?" She asks genuinely concerned.

"Fine."

"You're a horrible liar." She says calling him out,

Stefan gives her an un-amused look.

"Come on, we were getting along so well when we were near death." Clara asks pouting a little.

He rolls his eyes at that but it works in letting his walls come down a bit.

"I suppose Damon told you of my blood problem."

Clara shakes her head, "No, I am sorry he didn't, should he have?"

Stefan shrugs, "I don't know maybe... just surprised he didn't take the opportunity to gloat to you about my recent missteps."

"I am sorry I'm not sure I follow, what missteps?"

Stefan sighs, "You asked me if Damon ever did anything worse than me... truth is I was far worse than Damon could ever aspire to. I wiped out whole villages. They called me a ripper because of how I tore my victims apart in my frenzied attempt to gain access to their blood. I took Elena's blood that night hoping to be strong enough to protect you both, and now I am afraid it has woken the monster inside of me and there might be nothing I can do to put him down again. The one person I had that helped me control him Damon took from me... he killed her in front of me on my birthday no less."

Clara moves closer to Stefan and cautiously places her hand in his.

"I am terribly sorry for what you have suffered. I would never dream to replace your dear friend, but is there anything I can do to aid you in her absence?"

Stefan is touched at Clara trying to reach out to him but can't quite bring himself to accept he can't handle this alone, "No, thank you but no, I don't think there's anything anyone can do."

They just sat there together allowing sadness to sit with them with out trying to talk it away.

Damon finally arrives home and rushes to Clara, Dress box in hand.

Clara looks up amused at her husband, "What have you done?"

"Get dressed my love, a night out is just what the doctor ordered."

Clara peeks inside the box, "And who is this doctor?"

"I'll show you later tonight when we come back home," Damon says wiggling his eye brows at her causing her to giggle.

Damon couldn't have been prouder to walk into the Lockwood home that night with his wife on his arm. She outshone everyone else in the room with her beauty and she was all his.

Clara was excited to be out of the house and thrilled Damon trusted her enough to be around humans and mingle with important people from the town. This was a first for her, going to a grand event as a guest and not working behind the scenes. It was so thrilling but also nerve wreaking but she trusted Damon would not let her make too big a fool of herself. She just had to be careful about her language. Not to speak in so many full sentences and abbreviate even when unnecessary where the tips her husband had given her.

She wore a one-shoulder dress, cut well above her knee, something she had never seen before and certainly never wore. It was a soft baby blue with a longer skirt in the back than front. It was a strange dress to her, but she had to admit it was beautiful and very fun to wear, certainly a lot more comfortable than the dresses ladies of her time were forced into.

"Are you sure showing this much of my legs isn't scandalous?" Clara asks nervously,

Damon smiled at his wife's innocence.

"Positive, it'd be a crime to keep them covered up." They got lost in each other's eyes and kissed a little too long for being in public but didn't regret it for a moment.

They only broke apart when Stefan interrupted, "Oh god! I shouldn't be here."

Damon rolls his eyes, "Come on, don't be a downer, it's a party for the founding families! That would be us. That would be rude to skip it."

"I really liked you a whole lot better when you hated everybody," Stefan tells him hating how much enjoyment Damon seems to get from his suffering.

"Oh I still do. I just love that they love me."

Clara shakes her head at her husband's behavior and asks Stefan, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good, I'm fine," Stefan replies genuinely touched how Clara cares for him

Damon didn't exactly like the tenderness between the two of them and quickly inserted his own brand of snark squashing any of those mushy feelings from growing.

"No cravings? No urges? Is that whiskey you've been drinking all day doing its job?"

Stefan tries to laugh Damon off but he presses on, "We are who we are Stefan. Nothing's gonna change that."

"Ah! Nothing will make you happier to just see me give up, Damon?" Stefan asks,

"Whatever, it's inevitable," Damon says coldly shocking Clara,

"Damon!"

"It's fine Clara, Damon's just being Damon I'm used to it. Well, I'm gonna find Elena."

Clara turns to Damon a little baffled by his behavior.

"Your brother is struggling, was that necessary?" She asks,

Damon narrows his eyes at her, "Why are you suddenly so concerned with my brother?"

"Because he's my brother now too." Damon wasn't expecting that answer and it took some steam that had been building out of him. He remembered what Clara has said this morning about having more faith in him than her own insecurities and decided he could trust her too.

"You're right, he is. Of course, you care for him as such, I just have a habit of being an ass whenever I see an opportunity."

"I've noticed." She remarks dryly,

"Well, lucky for me you happen to love my ass." Damon jokes with her, already getting her to forgive him,

"Hmmm, that I do." Clara leans up and pulls Damon down to meet her in another show of PDA.


	9. Kick Off

Stefan is at the bar drinking when Elena arrives. He sets down his drink and waves to her, "Hey!"

"Hey. How are you?"

He kisses her on the cheek forcing her head to turn slightly, she spots Damon and Clara.

"Wait is that Clara, is it safe for her to be here, around all these people?" Elena asks concerned 

"Its fiiine, nothing to worry 'bout."

"Are you drunk?" Elena asks, kind of amused seeing her boyfriend act like a typical teenager.

"Okay, I know it's a little weird but it's really helping me. The alcohol takes the edge off." He explains.

Elena smiles, "You're totally that drunk high school guy at parties sneaking booze."

"I totally am, yeah." Stefan whisks her onto the dance floor, and Elena decides just to get the most out of Stefan's carefree attitude although it did concern her to see Stefan use compulsion on the DJ to change the music, it was something Damon would do not Stefan.

Elsewhere at the party...

Damon brings Clara over to Sheriff Forbes wanting to introduce her to one of the few people in this town he actually likes.

"You know I love a woman in uniform but I have to side with this one, you certainly clean up well."

Elizabeth chuckles, "Thank you, Damon. Cheers!" (They clink glasses.) "And who is this lovely beauty?"

Damon wraps his arm around Clara's waist and pulls her closer, "The reason I came over, I would like to introduce you to my wife."

Sheriff Forbes nearly chokes on her champagne.

"I'm sorry did you say, wife?"

"Shocking I know."

It certainly was but Elizabeth quickly regained her composure "Well, its a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Salvatore, can't imagine why Damon never mentioned you before."

Clara smiled shyly, "You as well, and please call me Clara. And I imagine my lovely husband was simply trying not to brag."

"Sassy too, she'll keep you on your toes. How long have you been together?"

Damon looks at Clara proudly, "Indeed she will, and we've been together since we were children... she was my best friend growing up and I've been completely besotted since the day I laid eyes on her." Clara ducks her head into Damon's chest slightly embarrassed and surprised by how sweet he is being, but loving every moment of it.

"Wow, I feel like I am seeing a whole new Damon Salvatore. You know I had my doubts about you at first but like everyone else on the council you've won me over."

"Thanks, Liz. I don't really want this talked about, but I consider you a friend and know you well enough to know not to try and sneak anything past you but the truth is we have been separated for a few years... that's why I never mention her before."

"Its alright you don't owe me an explanation." Elizabeth tries to tell him.

"No really, its okay you should know. I was young and stupid and I made a horrible mistake that nearly cost me the best thing that ever happened to me. Truthfully I never expected to get a second chance and I am just really thankful I am getting one now." He explains looking at Clara with such love and devotion Elizabeth Forbes sees nothing but a repentant husband determined to make his marriage work, a rare thing nowadays.

"Well welcome to Mystic Falls Clara, I hope you both are very happy here."

"Yes, I hope so as well, and thank you for being so welcoming."

"Actually would you mind if I spoke to your husband alone for a minute there is some council business we need to discuss."

Damon turns to Clara, "Why don't you go check on Elena, seems my brother is making a spectacle of himself."

"Of course, again it was lovely meeting you," Clara tells Sheriff Forbes.

"You as well," Elizabeth tells her genuinely meaning it.

Clara joins Elena at the bar watching Stefan dancing with Kelly Donovan.

"Is he gonna be okay?" She asks a little concerned for her brother in law.

"Exactly what I would like to know." Elena huffs.

Damon watches making sure Clara is alright without him and then turns back to Sheriff Forbes.

"It's really nice how welcoming the council has been. I like my life here in Mystic Falls. Starting to feel like home again."

"Well, you're not gonna like what I have to tell you. Jonathan Gilbert's claims check out. Blood bank, the missing people, all of it's true. We might have a problem."

 _Seriously Stefan_ , couldn't go one damn day?! Damon is very frustrated and annoyed but tries to only let his concern show on his face to not tip off to the Sheriff he is privy to anything.

Elena, Clara, and Jenna are laughing together. Clara is thrilled at how well this evening is going. She is having to constantly keep drinking to keep the cravings under control around so many humans, but being as she is married to Damon no one has thought twice about her alcohol intake, plus she certainly handles her booze a lot better than Stefan.

Matt comes over and joins the girls...

"Hi, I don't think we've met." He says to Clara holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Oh uh Matt, this is Clara Salvatore, she is Stefan's brother's wife," Elena says making their introduction.

"You're married to Damon?" Matt asks shocked. Clara shakes his hand.

"Please don't hold it against me."

"Yeah uhh sure." He notices the unprecedented amount of grinding happening at a founders party due to the music change up. "When did this happen?"

"DJ had a change of heart."

"Do you want to dance?" He asks Elena still harbouring some feelings for her.

"I don't know."

"How about you Mrs. Salvatore?" Matt asks with a dramatic bow. Clara giggles and gives him her hand.

"It would be an honor but I am afraid I don't know this dance." Matt is confused by her phrasing but takes her out on the dance floor anyway.

"Relax, there's nothing to it, just follow my lead and don't think about how ridiculous you might look."

The two make there way over to the dance floor

Damon spots his wife dancing with Donovan and wants to go over and take her out of the quarterback's arms but Jeremy arrives and interrupts him.

"Excuse me, Sheriff. I was curious if there's been any more information about what happened to Vicki Donovan?"

Elizabeth sighs, "It was an overdose, Jeremy."

"Yeah, but her body was buried. Somebody must have done that."

"We're aware of that. The investigation is ongoing but there's nothing more I can tell you at this time. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

 _Well, this could be a problem_ Damon thinks to himself before making his way over to his bride.

"Care to take a stroll, my lady?"

"It would be an honor." Damon secures her arm through his and they walk out onto the balcony together enjoying the night air.

"I am sorry we never got to do this back then."

"We're here now that's all that matters." Clara turns around in Damon's arms ready to kiss him but notices a man behind them.

John joins them outside...

"Damon, right?" John asks.

"John."

"And I am afraid I have yet to make this lovely young woman's acquaintance yet," John says looking a little too eager for Damon's liking.

"And you're not going to, what do you want?"

"We didn't get the chance to meet at the council meeting."

"Are you enjoying the kick-off?" Damon tries to change the conversation.

"Oh yeah. I forgot how much fun these small town celebrations can be. How long have you been in town?" John directs his last question to Clara.

"Oh, not long at all. Why do you want to know?"

"Just making friendly chit-chat."

"Except we're not friends," Damon replies causing John to get a tight smile on his face

"No, I tend not to be friends with vampires." he looks at both Damon and Clara pointedly. Damon moves Clara behind him trying to shield her from John's threatening stares.

"And you're telling us this why?"

"I just thought we'd get the introductions out of the way."

"You know that I could rip your throat out before anyone would notice?" Damon asks liking the idea more and more.

"Well I am on vervain... but why don't you take a bite to find out?"

Clara tried to intervene, "This man hardly seems worth our time Damon, perhaps we should go back inside."

"I must say, Mrs. Salvatore, you speak as if you were from a different time... say 1864. It wasn't such a good time to be a vampire then you see they were running amok and we were forced to hunt them down, throw them in a church and burn them to ash."

"I wasn't aware you were quite so old Mr. Gilbert, perhaps you can share with me your skincare regimen?" Clara asks.

John lets out a sarcastic chuckle and Damon is losing his patients with Elena's tool of an uncle.

Damon and Clara start to leave but Damon changes his mind at the last moment and rushes towards John, breaks his neck, and throws him off the balcony.

When Damon and Clara re-enter the party it seems they have missed something there has been commotion over Kelly Donovan and Tyler Lockwood.

They ignore the small town drama and make their way over to Elena who is watching Stefan with concern.

"You wanna hear the bad news or the really bad news?" He asks her.

"Actually, I don't want any news Damon." Elena replies really not in the mood for anything Damon has to say.

"Alright, let me rephrase. Do you want to hear how the council is back in vampire killing mode or how I just killed Uncle John Gilbert?"

"What?!"

"Uh honey," Clara tries to get Damon's attention as John Gilbert walks in very much alive.

"You gotta be kidding me."

Later Damon walks up to Alaric who is also staring at John...

"Look at his right hand."

"Whose?"

"Towns favorite's son. Look at his ring."

"Well, it looks like mine."

"Yeah, and that would be a big coincidence if he didn't just come back from the dead five minutes ago. Where the hell did you get that ring?"

"Isobel, my wife," Alaric explains.

"Who gave birth to Elena, under the medical care of the esteemed DR. Grayson Gilbert, John's brother!"

They look at John.

"Do you think John knew Isobel?" Clara asks.

"I think John knows a _lot_ of things."

Later Damon and Clara are enjoying a slow dance

"I am sorry tonight was ruined." He says trying to apologize

"Ruined please, all this excitement and intrigue... I've had a fabulous time, and I get to recover from it all day tomorrow while I avoid the sun."

"Lucky."

"Very," Clara replies and pulls Damon down for a deep kiss.

Damon sees John is leaving and asks Clara to stay inside as he and Alaric follow him

"Not a chance." She tells him.

"Yeah, I figured come on,"

The three of them catch up to him outside.

"Going somewhere?" Damon asks.

"I've never liked to be the last one to leave a party. It's too desperate. You're going to kill me again or you're gonna let Mr. Saltzman do your dirty work? Perhaps the Mrs's would like a go?"

"Tempting," Clara replies.

Alaric steps forward, "Okay, you obviously know who I am."

"I do. Alaric Saltzman, a high school history teacher with a secret."

"Sure know a lot for someone who just got to town," Damon remarks.

"More than you can imagine, Damon. My knowledge of this town goes beyond anything that you (He looks at Damon) or you (He looks at Alaric) or even you (he looks at Clara) knows. So, if you're planning on some clever high-speed snatch ring vamp kill move, know that if I die, everything I know goes to the council including the fascinating little tale of your wife's resurrection."

Clara has to hold Damon back from doing something stupid.

"How did you get that ring?" Alaric demands to know.

"I had inherited one, my brother Gray had the other. This was his (He shows his ring to them) and I wouldn't have given mine to Isobel if I had known she'd hand it over to another guy." John explains taunting Alaric.

"What do you want?" This time it's Clara that tries to regain control on this situation.

"So many questions. It was a pleasure meeting you, Ric. And Clara, I've heard so much about _you_."

John leaves. Damon, Clara, and Alaric look at each other and watch him.

 


	10. Missed Mystic

Clara was wasting the day away trying to entertain herself until it was dark enough to safely go outside. Hopefully she wouldn't have to live like this too much longer, Damon told her a witch he knew, Bonnie Bennet, had returned to town and should be able to help.

**Clara POV:**

I hate being stuck inside all day, it's not that my accommodations aren't grand, it's beautiful here and I live better than I ever have before. I just hate that while those I care for are out and about trying to sort through the trouble that life brings them I am stuck inside unable to help. I feel like I am watching everyone else live and I am inside studying and trying to catch up to them and sometimes it feels like I never will.

Damon had stopped by briefly, he had a bad meeting with the council, apparently, they want him to team up with John to hunt vampires.

Then Stefan came by and had a fight with anyone who suggested he had a blood problem, apparently a local hospital was robbed and Stefan was the culprit.

Then Anna came by, Pearl's daughter, and gave us more troubling news about the tomb vampires.

Everything was spinning out of control so fast and I was terrified one of them would need my help and I would be stuck inside while they suffered tragedies.

My husband's new vampire hunter partner even stopped by, he made my skin crawl. He made a loose threat to me and Damon actually ripped his finger clean off. John cried and screamed out in pain clasping his bleeding hand to his chest.

"You know there are thousands of ways I can hurt you without killing you, this was just the first to come to mind. I'll be holding on to this from now on(holding up the resurrection ring) you want it back, feel free to leave a forwarding address on your way out of town, I'll be sure to mail it! And NEVER make the mistake of thinking I would allow you to so much as breathe near my wife let alone do anything to harm her. Understood?"

John nodded

"Great now, hold still." Damon tossed me the bloodied ring and held John's finger where it used to be and bit into his wrist shoving it into John's mouth allowing him to heal. "You might want to be careful for the next 24 hours, or the next vampire you'll be hunting will be you."

Damon called me later to let me know he would be attending the Miss Mystic Falls pageant to keep an eye on Stefan, make sure he didn't eat any of the contestants.

The next call I got was very concerning, Stefan actually had attacked a girl, and he had run off when they tried to get him under control again. Damon instructed me what to do if I saw Stefan before they made it back to the boarding house.

I heard the door open and Stefan run up to his room. This was my chance to help... even if it felt deceitful I was happy Damon trusted me enough to do this.

I entered his bedroom after him and sat with him on his bed.

"Hear I missed another fabulous Mystic Falls event."

"I Am not really in the mood for company right now." He tells me but I am undeterred.

"Well, good thing I am not company, I live here. I'm your sister, come on you can talk to me. Or do you only open up when we are both strung up with vervain ropes?"

"Maybe that's what you should do, tie me up. I was going to do it to Damon once, let him dry out and then put him in the family crypt for 50 or so years. The world would be a lot safer if that's where I was, Elena would be safer."

"Take it from someone who was desiccating in a tomb for well over 100 years, that's not the answer."

"You didn't deserve that."

"And you do?" I ask.

"Yes!" He shouts as if it's obvious.

I sigh and shake my head, "and who will that help? It's cowardly."

"What?"

"You want to punish yourself, you think that will make it up to your victims? It's not going to unkill them somehow. It only helps you feel better like the deluded Saint Anthony who thought the way to salvation was to starve himself to madness in the middle of the desert. Your suffering will not make up for your sins, you want to make a difference? Make restitution where you can, you need to stay alive and fight. Go to Africa, save girls that wouldn't otherwise be saved, or go to the Middle East and stop a stoning, go save children from being bombed, hell stalk college campuses right here and save young women from being raped do something with your life to save more lives then you took! That's how you make it up to your victims not by being a melodramatic eternal teenager brooding in his room!"

**3rd Person POV:**

Stefan was shocked by his latest tongue lashing from his sister in law. He understood what she was saying and saw the wisdom in it but didn't see how he would ever be able to do those things now that he was so sensitive to blood again he didn't make for any kind of superhero.

"And how am I supposed to save anyone when I can't even make it through a pageant. One scraped knee and I'd be the one killing those I'd planned on saving. No, it safest for everyone to put me down."

Clara didn't know what to say to that but then Elena came up and asked to speak to Stefan alone, he didn't want her there... he didn't think it was safe.

**Clara left and joined Damon downstairs...**

**Clara POV:**

Damon and I heard the end of their conversation and I was happy Elena relived me of my duty, it had to be tough for her to do that she obviously cares for Stefan a great deal.

After we hear Stefan collapse from the vervain dart Damon and I re-enter the room,

"Sure you want to do this?" I felt the need to ask her again.

"I'm sure."

After putting him in the cell in the basement Damon turns to Elena,

"There's no guarantee it's going to work." He tells her.

"It has to."

Elena decided to stay down there with Stefan, waiting for him to regain consciousness. Damon and I went up to bed, Even tho the sun had set and I was finally free I didn't want to be anywhere else but in bed snuggled up to my husband.

**Damon's Bedroom**

**Damon POV:**

I lay in bed holding my wife. Caring is exhausting, don't know how Stefan has done it all these years. A part of me thinks I should take Clara and get as far away from here as possible... but honestly I like the idea of being a family again with Stefan not that I'd ever admit that.

"Its okay to admit you know."

"Admit what?" I ask wondering if my wife is a mind reader

"That you care for your bother." Apparently, she was, I'd swear she was a witch if I hadn't seen her fangs myself.

"I thought you almost got through to him back there. It was a good try. You know Stefan actually did play the hero once... went off to war and everything."

"Really?"

"Yup, It was World War II mid-1930s."

"I am still only on the 20s so no spoilers."

"Well it was pretty much all downhill from there sweetheart," I tell her.

"What happened, did it help when Stefan went, did you go with him?"

"I was supposed to but his bff, that means best friend forever, talked me out of it. She told me _he'd be better off alone than in my company."_

"Is this the one you killed in front of him on his birthday?"

I wince, "He told you about that?"

"Just mentioned it really."

"Yeah, it was her." I admit guiltily.

"A little bit glad she's dead now, stuck-up cow saying that to you."

I can't help but smile, wow I loved how blindly Clara would defend me, I leaned over and kissed her on her forehead.

"I shouldn't have killed her. Its one of the few things I am actually sorry for. I have done so many terrible things and yet I rarely feel guilty about any of them, but that's one I do."

"You should tell him, I'm sure it would mean a lot." She tells me.

"I'm not so sure."

"Any more trouble from Jonathan Gilbert?"

"Pretty sure he knows now never to threaten you again."

"But what if he turns you into the council." She asks me worriedly.

I can see how worried Clara is for me, I'm a little worried too if I'm being honest. The part of me that thinks I should take Clara and disappear is getting louder. But that's out of the question until Stefan's back on the straight and narrow at least and who knows how long that will take.

"You know the 3rd worse thing that ever happened to me was?"

"No, what?"

I tell Clara about the Augustine society never getting too graphic but not lying or sugarcoating anything for her either.

"But I know nothing like that will ever happen again, you know why?"

"Why?" Clara asks tears spilling down her face completely distraught over what I've suffered.

"Because if I was even missing for an hour I know you would come find me. So no I am not worried about John and the council, because I have the most kick-ass wife in the world and I know she'll do anything to protect me just like I will her. We'll always be okay because we have each other... alright?" Clara nods believing me.

"I wouldn't just come looking, I would rain down hell until I found you." My wife tells me making me smile.

"I know you would," I tell her holding her tighter.

"Wait, you said that was the third worst thing what were the first two? I can't imagine anything worse."

"First was waking up a vampire realizing how Katherine manipulated me into leaving you, realizing I'd be spending eternity without you after Stefan forced me to feed."

Clara strokes the side of my face lovingly.

"And what about the 2nd?"

"Mother dying leaving me and Stefan alone with Giuseppe."

**3rd Person POV:**

Clara held tightly onto Damon and wished nothing worse than those three would ever happen to him but Unfortunately Clara didn't know how soon her husband's life would be threatened again once Johnathan Gilbert got his hands on that invention Pearl told them about.

 


	11. Bath Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to get zesty!

**3rd Person POV:**

Clara was awoken from her slumber by music blaring. She peeked up from the covers, to see Damon waiting for her. He was dressed in a tux and was holding a slinky silk dress.

"What's going on?" she asked, her sleepiness still affecting her voice.

"Decided to make your studies more fun, welcome to the twenties. Now get dressed." Damon ordered.

Clara sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes,

"What about your brother?"

Damon shrugged pretending not to care, "He's brooding downstairs refusing to drink."

"So shouldn't we be focused on helping him."

"We helped Elena subdue him and lock him up, the rest will be up to him. Now come on... or do you not want to learn to do the Charleston?"

Clara still felt guilty having fun when Stefan was downstairs having a terrible time but seeing Damon dressed up and ready to dance with her had her cave rather quickly.

**Elena POV:**

I was sitting outside Stefan's cell when I heard music and laughing coming from upstairs.

"What are they doing up there?" I asked out loud.

"Damon is teaching her dances from the twenties... they're having fun."

"Ugh I'm going to go tell them to shut it off." 

"Don't" Stefan said stopping me.

"Stefan, your down here in pain and they are throwing a party it isn't right."

"They're in love and they are enjoying themselves, that's not wrong."

"Well, do they have to do it so loudly?"

"I'm sorry... that it can't be us."

I smile sadly at the thought, "One day it can be."

"No, I don't think I've ever been so carefree."

"What about with Lexi at a Bon Jovi concert." I see through the bars Stefan is smiling at the memory.

"Maybe then," he admits.

"Lexi wouldn't want you to just give up, she would want you to fight... I want you to fight."

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have pursued you... this should be your life. Waiting outside a cell door for your boyfriend to decide to live. You deserve better, you deserve to be woken up to a dance party." He says looking up at the ceiling where Damon and Clara are enjoying themselves above us.

I shake my head trying to keep my tears from falling, "I don't want to be them, I want to be us... but I need you to want that too."

"You should get going, you're going to be late for school." He says ignoring my pleas.

"I'll be back later, and I expect that bottle to be empty," I tell him trying to sound firm.

**3rd Person POV:**

Stefan refuses to drink and is starting to hallucinate from lack of blood

It leads to a flashback, Stefan awakes with a start now by the Quarry in 1864. He opens his shirt and sees the bullet wound is gone. He also sees a ring on his hand and examines it.

Emily is there.

"Katherine had me make that for you weeks ago."

"Where am I?" He asks her thoroughly confused.

  
"The quarry just north of town. My brother and I brought you here last night. We found you dead in the woods."

"Where's Damon? Am I...am I a...?"

"Not yet. You're in transition."

"But how? I..."

"You had Katherine's blood in your system when you died."

"No. I never..." He starts to deny it but Emily interrupts him,

  
"She's been compelling you to drink it for weeks, Stefan."

"And Damon?" Stefan asks.

"He was even less willing than you, practically turned his brain to mush the amount of times she had to compel him... it made her furious."

Later on... Damon starts waking up and Stefan joins him by the river

He starts talking without turning to acknowledge Stefan,

"I woke up last night. I didn't know where I was. I went to the church. And I watched them drag her inside. Then they set fire to it. And the whole church went up into flames. They killed her, Stefan. She's gone... It should have been me."

Stefan always thought Damon meant he wished he had died in her place but looking back now it's clear he meant, he wished he'd been the one to kill her when he thought Katherine was dead. He wasn't sad or in mourning... he was angry. It was easier for Stefan to see now looking back.

**Back to present time, upstairs with Damon and Clara.**

The two collapse on the floor having danced themselves to exhaustion. Clara wasn't sure how it would have been possible to accomplish the Charleston if you didn't have Vampire powers, it required so many quick movements.

Damon takes something out of his pocket and looks at the object, its the invention Pearl gave him.

"Have you figured out what that is?" Clara asks still trying to catch her breath.

"Nope. Whatever it is, it doesn't work." Damon puts his arm under Clara's neck and brings her closer to him. He rolls over partially and buries his nose in her neck inhaling her scent.

Clara takes the object out of Damon's hand and examines it.

"Pearl didn't say anything else about it?" She asks.

"She thought she was stealing his vampire compass, but that was a pocket watch. That Johnathan Gilbert was a crazy scientist."

"So not unlike the present Johnathan Gilbert, simply minus the scientist part. Do you think he's still cross that you temporarily removed his finger and gave me his ring for safe keeping."

"I think he's furious," Damon admits,

"I don't like the idea of someone that unhinged being upset with us."

Damon picks up his bride from the floor.

"What are you doing?"

"Treating you to a bath, Damon Salvatore edition. And don't worry about Elena's crazy uncle, I told you as long as we look out for each other, nothing will be able to touch us."

Damon strips the silky dress off of Clara slowly kissing every inch of her while the bath fills up. He puts in salts and bubbles exciting Clara.

"I see baths have gotten fancier over time, and I swear this tub is practically the size of the local pond."

"Just wait till you're soaking in it, nothing will feel as good... especially once I get in there with you," Damon says as he starts to strip himself. Clara leans back on the ledge of the bathtub and watches her husband greedily causing Damon to have a cocky smirk but it only makes him more attractive to Clara.

Damon helps Clara climb in and starts washing her. She pouts at him.

"I thought you were joining me?"

"All in good time, first I want to help clean you so I can get in and get you all dirty again." He tells her seductively causing her to practically pant with want.

Just when neither one can take any more teasing Damon stands up, all of him at attention, and moves to get in the bath when his phone starts ringing.

Groaning he bends down to answer it to quickly get rid of whoever it is.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Alaric... Saltzman." As if Damon knew another Alaric.

"Before I hang up, how did you get this number?" He asks when Clara sits up on her knees and moves closer to Damon's hard cock.

"Ah, it's a mystery. Listen, I've, uh, been doing some digging on Elena's uncle. You interested?" Damon's head falls back as Clara runs her lips around his tip in a circular motion.

"What kind of digging?" Now he feels her bring her tongue out and run it up and down the sides of his shaft. His breathing is picking up slowly.

"I've got an old friend from Duke. Who studied criminology when we were there together. Let's just say he's become a very proficient digger."

"Well, did he find anything?" Damon asks before covering the receiving end of the phone as he inhales sharply from Clara's wet mouth taking him in. She begins sucking softly still getting his cock slicked.

"Well, I had him run a track on John's cell records. He was getting a call from a number...The same number that Elena dialed to get Isobel. And then the number was disconnected."

"Isobel knows John. Whatever. We knew that." Damon tells Alaric completely uninterested in whatever he is saying instead of focusing on running his hands through Clara's hair as she increases her tempo and intensity causing his knees to go a little weak.

"Right. Well, after that, he started getting calls from a new number. And I had my friend run a geotrack. Got the address. It's...It's an apartment in Grove Hill."

"Isobel's in Grove Hill?" Damon asks keeping one hand on Clara's head as she works him good.

"I don't know. I thought we could take a look and see what we find."

The ferocity of which Clara is putting into this act has gotten so great it causes the water to slosh violently spilling out the sides of the tub and it causes Alaric to ask, "wait are you taking a bath right now? Man, I don't want to talk to you when you're naked!"

"Well anytime I'm not with you assume I'm naked, look just give me the address I got to hang up," Damon says not wanting to orgasm with Ric listening.

"Oh, so you can go without me? No. I don't think so."

"Hold on!" Damon silences the phone as he grabs both sides of Clara's head and thrusts into her, fucking her mouth while staring right into her gorgeous eyes. He growls as he comes but keeps his softening cock in her mouth not wanting to pull it out yet. And she graciously allows it there every so often running her tongue over his slit causing him to jerk more.

Damon gets another call and reaches behind him to pick up where he left his phone.

"What?" Expecting Ric must have hung up and dialed him again but its Elena.

"I'm just grabbing some clothes, and then I'll be right over. How's Stefan?"

"Extra broody. Hold on." He puts the phone on silent again and talks to Clara,

"I think I'm going to have to meet Ric at this place the more ammo we have on crazy uncle John the better and Elena is on her way over."

Clara takes Damon out of her mouth causing him to pout and whine a bit.

"Okay, it looks like I'll have to dirty myself in this bath." She replies innocently.

She leans back covering her chest with the bubbles and runs her hand along her thighs before disappearing under the water to where she knows Damon most wants to be right now.

Damon leans over and kisses her fiercely,

"I will make this up to you later, I promise... until then" Damon look down towards her center where she has her hand, "think of me." He gives her a wink before he picks up the phone again going back to Alaric.

"You drive. Pick me up in 15."

"Done." Damon hangs up and switches back to talking to Elena on the other line. But struggling to remember where he left of he looks to Clara who is working herself up... tempting him to say to hell with everything and get in there to loan her his own hands.

"What was I saying," He whispers asking Clara, she whispers back, "He won't eat anything." _Right._

(To Elena) "He won't eat anything."

"He has to eat what's his favorite...Kind of, um..."

"His favorite kind of what?" Damon asks distracted by his wet writhing wife.

"Type of animal blood that he prefers?"

"Ew. Gross." That definitely killed the mood.

"Uhh I don't know...Stefan likes...Puppy blood...Little golden retriever puppies with cute, floppy ears. That's his favorite." And he hangs up before jumping in the tub with Clara,

"We have 7 minutes, let's make the most of them." He tells her before his head disappears below the water causing hers to dip back in ecstasy.

 


	12. How Long is Enough?

**3rd Person POV:**

Damon brings a bottle of blood for Stefan as Alaric is pulling up outside

"Brought you something to eat...100% Stefan diet approved. I wanted to see you drink something before I left. You know what will happen if you don't eat. You'll get all rotting and crusty."

"I'm not hungry." Stefan says sullenly.

Damon rolls his eyes, "Of course you are. We're eternally hungry. Take it. The human blood should be gone by now. You want to explain why you're still in here. Feeling sorry for yourself? Come on. Drink up." 

When Stefan didn't give Damon lost his patience, "Fine. Starve. What do I care?"

Elena comes down to the basement to see Stefan

"Thank god your babysitter is here, now I have to go out tonight do you promise to behave?" Damon said mocking Stefan and then went upstairs leaving Elena and Stefan alone.

"How you feelin'? Damon says you need to drink that. You need it, Stefan. You can't survive without it."

"I don't want to survive."

"What? Don't say that."

Stefan sighs, "I'm sorry, Elena. No more. After what I've done, it has to end. I just want it over."

Elena decides to take a break and is sitting in the living room and talking to Clara

"Damon says he's just being dramatic and he's not gonna starve himself. But I think deep down he's worried."

Elena huffs, "Sure sounded like you guys were worried," she says snarkily,

"Elena I lost over a century with the man I love, and as horrible as it was it taught me to never take the time you have together for granted. So yes we were enjoying ourselves but that doesn't mean we don't both care for Stefan very much. I know he feels bad about hurting that girl and Lexi isn't here to help pick him back up again like usual but Stefan needs to learn to pick himself back up. Trust me he won't make it to the end of the week trying to keep this up. The pain will be unbearable and his survival instincts will prevail. You just have to give it more time."

"I know you care but...maybe if you tried to not take the time you have with Stefan for granted that would help. He just seems to be in a lot of pain."

"I tried to get through to him but if you want me to try again I will. And pain won't kill him, if he wants to torture himself to alleviate his conscious, let him. The pain will go away once he finally eats."

"I didn't mean physical pain." Elena corrects her,

"I know what you meant. Fighting the demons inside is always daunting and we can tell Stefan how much he means to us but ultimately he needs to fight this battle on his own. No one can do it for him."

"There has to be something else I can do to help him. What would you do if it were Damon?"

"Damon, wouldn't do this. We always knew we wanted to spend forever together, not matter how guilty he was feeling over something he wouldn't think of leaving me... Can I ask you something?" Elena nods and Clara continues, "What do you plan to do, did you and Stefan have a plan?"

"I don't know what you mean?"

"I mean, were you going to become a vampire? Is Stefan downstairs betraying your forever or was this relationship always meant to be temporary... Maybe he doesn't have a good enough reason to stay."

Elena is slightly taken aback, "I... uh, we never really talked about it. I never really thought about it before."

"You have time now, its seems you should think about this. You are going to age and eventually die if you stay human, plus Stefan and you wouldn't be able to have children, is that something you want?"

Elena starts feeling a little defensive, "I mean yeah someday, but you and Damon probably thought you would have kids together too right?"

"Uhh, I suppose it would have been inevitable back then but no I never desired children. I worked my whole life, I just wanted to be with Damon and enjoy our time on earth together without anyone telling us what to do. How were we supposed to make sure our children ate balanced meals and acted properly when all we wanted to do was misbehave ourselves?"

"Yeah I guess I can't really picture Damon as a dad. I think I should go and check on him its been awhile."

"Would you like me to accompany you?" Clara offers,

Elena shakes her head, "No, its okay you should, um, you should stay up here... find something dangerous and fun to do. I'll be fine."

The women exchanged a smile and part ways.

Elena walks back down to the cellar.

"You know, Damon hasn't fed me vervain in a while. I could be at those bars in a flash, and you'd be dead." Stefan threatens her,

"Yeah, you could. But you won't."

"Please just go away. I don't want you here." Stefan was tired of pep talks.

Elena ignoring his request enters the cellar.

"What are you doing? Get out of here." He begs,

"No."

"You're taking a stupid risk. I could hurt you."

"Then I'm stupid. You need to drink this." Elena didn't know if she could promise Stefan forever but she was sure her love for him now was all the strength and reason he needed she just had to show him.

"Elena, get out of here, or you'll regret it."

"Drink." She urged him pushed the bottle closer to him.

"I said get out!" He knocks the bottle of blood from her hand. His face transformed. But Elena stood her ground trying to prove her love.

"No." Elena sits crossing her legs indian style, "Talk to me, Stefan. Why are you doing this?"

"I'm making the decision I should have made years ago."

"What are you talking about?"

"You have to feed in order to complete the transition."

"I know that."

"It was a choice I shouldn't have made." Stefan describes drinking from his own father to complete the transition and hangs his head ashamed. "How can you even look at me right now?" He asks.

"You need to be able to talk about these things, Stefan. I need to hear them. Come upstairs. We can talk about it more, and we'll keep talking as long as you need."

"You're so sure I'm ready?" Elena nods and pulls out Stefan's ring and places it on the cot next to him.

"And when you feel the same way...I'll be upstairs."

 

**Grove Hill Residence with Damon and Alaric**

"Find anything yet?" Damon asks,

"No, I looked everywhere. The place is...The place is clean."

"Well, I wouldn't beat myself up over it, man. What did you think you were gonna find, huh? Isobel with a cigar and slippers?"

"Oh, man. I...I gotta stop this. I can't...I can't keep searching for her."

Damon is actually surprised, "Really? After only two years? That's actually moderately healthy."

"Yeah how long did you search for Clara? 146?"

"Well, I didn't know she was a vampire so I technically wasn't searching for her. But if I had known I don't think I ever would have stopped."

"Ahh. I mean, no answer is enough. I keep thinking I wanna know why, when, you know, the precise moment. When my wife decided life with me wasn't enough."

"She charmed me, your wife Isobel. She talked a good game, man. She was smart. She had this excitement in her eyes. I probably should have known there was something different about her, some tie to Katherine."

"That's enough, Damon. I don't wanna hear anymore. I just don't want to waste any more of my life. Searching for answers that I really don't want. I'm through with Isobel. I...I'm done with all of this. Yeah."

Drama drama drama, Damon was regretting ever getting out of the bath with Clara.

**Boarding House:**

Elena is writing in her diary when Damon comes home.

"Ugh. God. You're still here?"

Elena raises an eyebrow, "Were you expecting anything else?"

"No."

"So, how was the _errand_?"

"Futile. Although, I think I witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis. Has Stefan eaten yet?"

"I thought you didn't care."

Damon shrugs, "Chalk it up to morbid curiosity."

"I think he's getting there. But he's got a lot of guilt that he has to deal with. And it doesn't help that you've spent the last 145 years punishing him for forcing you to change... I mean if you think about it if he hadn't you never would have known Clara was in that tomb. You would have spent eternity without her anyway. And now you're not maybe you should thank him."

"Fine, but don't start expecting good things from me now" Damon warns,

"Wouldn't dream of it"

Damon goes downstairs to find Stefan's cell empty, sighing he can guess where his brother went, to where it all started in the first place.

Damon races over to the Quarry and slowly approaches Stefan.

"Well this feels like deja vu"

"You shouldn't be here," Stefan tells him,

"Kinda think you got that the other way around Steffy, see I'm still wearing my daylight ring"

"Its better this way, eventually Elena will see that."

"Bullshit, quitting is the easier way but its never better"

"What would you know about it, Damon?"

Damon sighs and tilts his head back, "Given all you know now, it didn't cross your mind?"

"What didn't cross my mind?"

"To ask, that if I thought my wife was human and had died or would die soon, why didn't I just stake myself and end it all."

Stefan seems shocked by this, "are you saying you tried to..."

"Yup, a couple times. I hated you for so long but it wasn't because you forced me to change or that you were always our parent's favorite it was because as long as I was with you I knew I would never be free. And that's all I ever really wanted. But you were the one good thing about me... that I always did my best to protect you. Even when I hated you I couldn't ever really hurt you. It comes to me like breathing, I don't have to do it but it would feel wrong and unnatural to stop. It wasn't Clara that I felt I'd be letting down if I went through with my attempts it was myself. I didn't know how to stop being your brother even if I craved for nothing more I had to keep living because you were alive. And because of that, I am alive to love Clara now, to see her and be happy with her every day... and that's because of you. I never thanked you for that... You might be the biggest most brooding pain in the ass but, without you, I wouldn't be or have anything good, so thank you."

Stefan was shocked, he had never heard his brother talk like that. Damon walked closer and shook Stefan's hand palming him his daylight ring.

"I hope that never changes."

After that Damon returned back to the boarding house, it would be up to Stefan now.

 


	13. For Jeremy

**3rd Person POV:**

Stefan knew being vulnerable in front of anyone was not easy for Damon especially when that someone was him and he appreciated that his brother had come through for him today.

He put his ring back on as the sun started to rise. He wasn't sure if it was for Elena or his brother or even himself but knowing Damon had faced similar battles within himself and that Clara and Elena both tried so hard to reach him it made him feel like there was something in him worth fighting for and not giving up on.

It would be hard but Stefan wanted to keep fighting he wanted to see more of who his brother was now with Clara by his side and he wanted a chance to have something similar with Elena. He still felt terrible about the girl he hurt and all his victims before but giving up wouldn't change anything, Clara had been right about that... he wasn't sure he was ready to fight crime just yet but maybe someday he could go to the lengths Clara had suggested and truly atone for his atrocities.

He prayed there was still hope for his soul... if there was hope for Damon, surely there could still be hope for himself.

**Elsewhere:**

Alaric had decided to stop in the grill for a nightcap. He sits at the bar, drinking alone. A woman approaches him.

"Hello, Ric."

Alaric recognizing the voice slowly turns around and comes face to face with his wife.

"Isobel."

"It's good to see you. You look good. I hear that you're a high school history teacher? How is that?" Isobel says as if she had only been absent for a couple weeks and not faked her death and became a vampire.

"Where have you been, Isobel?"

"I don't have any reasons that are gonna comfort you. I don't have any explanations that are gonna satisfy you. I wanted this."

"It's that simple?"

"Yeah. You were supposed to mourn me, and move on." She tells him as if it's his fault

"You were my wife, and I loved you. How could I not search for you?"

"Because I wasn't lost, Rick." She takes a paper and writes something. "I understand that you know my daughter, Elena, and I hear that she's been looking for me. So..." She gives the paper to Alaric. "I want you to arrange for a meeting with us." Alaric looks at the paper.

"You want me to deliver a message?"

"Yeah."

"Screw you. You selfish bitch."

Alaric throws the paper on the ground and storms out of the bar.

In the parking lot, Alaric is going to his car. Isobel arrives behind him. Training as a vampire hunter Ric can sense there is someone behind him.

"What do you want from me?" He asks her, refusing to show any fear.

"I told you."

Alaric shakes his head, "I'm not gonna do anything for you." 

Having enough of his attitude Isobel strangles him and pushes him against his car.

"You better tell Elena that I want to meet or I'm gonna start killing the citizens of this town one by one and I'm gonna start with your history students. Got it?" Satisfied by finally seeing the scared look in his eyes She throws him on the floor and gives him the paper.

The next day Alaric arranges for everyone to meet so he can fill them in on what happened.

Damon enters Alaric's classroom pissed he had to leave Clara for whatever this little powwow is about. He really needs to find a way to get her a daylight ring made.

"Damon, thanks for coming." Alaric says in greeting,

"It was hard to tear myself away but Clara insisted. What's with all the furrowed brows?"

"I saw Isobel last night."

"Isobel is here? In town?" Damon turns to Elena and looks at her. She seems freaked. He turns back to Alaric.

"Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are they working together?"

"No."

"No they're not?" Damon tries to clarify finding Alaric's answer a little vague.

"No, I didn't ask."

"What about the invention?"

"Didn't ask."

Damon is starting to get fed up by how little Alaric knows.

"Did she know about the tomb vampires?"

"I don't know." Alaric admits,

"Did words completely escape you?" Damon demands finally snapping.

"No, I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions."

Damon turns to Elena. Rolling his eyes over Alaric.

"What did she want?"

Elena takes in a deep breath, "She wants to see me, Damon."

Damon looks over at Stefan.

"Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting. We don't know why or what she wants." Stefan says expanding on what Elena said.

"She's threatened to go on killing spree if the meeting doesn't happen." Alaric adds,

"Oh! I take it that's not okay with you guys."

"I want to do it. I want to meet her. If I don't, I know I'll regret it." Elena looks to Stefan for support and he gives her a reassuring nod.

Later that day Elena is at the grill waiting for Isobel to show. Stefan is standing at the pool table. He watches after Elena.

"Can you hear me? Thanks for coming, I'm nervous."

Stefan smiles at her. Happy he could show up for her today and didn't end it all yesterday .

"I'm happy that you're here. I love you."

Stefan mouths _I love you_ back. The nice moment is interrupted by Isobel who sits down with Elena blocking her view of Stefan.

"Hello Elena. You look just like her, that's eerie." This shocks Stefan and Elena.

"You've met Katherine?" Elena asks,

"She found me after I turned. Genetic curiosity, I suppose. She would be fascinated by you."

Elena looks at Isobel's necklace recognizing the lapis lazuli.

"Is that how you can walk in the day?"

Isobel plays with it "Katherine helped me obtain it."

"Who's my father?" It was a question Elena was dying to ask and it just popped out.

Isobel just waves it off though, "Not important. He was a teenage waste of space."

"A name would be nice."

"It would, wouldn't it? You ask a lot of questions."

Elena is growing frustrated clearly Isobel did not ask her here to learn about her daughter, she seems to be a bigger fan of Katherine.

"Why did you compel that man to kill himself? Right after he told me to stop looking for you."

Isobel shrugs, "Dramatic impact. I wish it would have been more effective." _Trust me_  , Elena thinks,  _so do I_.

"Human life means that little to you?"

"Means nothing to me. It's just part of being what I am."

Elena shakes her head refusing to believe that, "No it's not. I know other vampires, that's not true."

"Your new boyfriend over there by the pool table? Stefan Salvatore... Why Stefan? Why didn't you go for Damon? Or are you enjoying them both like Katherine did?" Elena is shocked by the question. Stefan looks uncomfortable.

Outside Damon and Alaric are waiting across the street. Both growing anxious.

"We should be in there." Damon says hating being sidelined,

"No, Isobel made it clear we're not to step a foot inside."

Damon tilts his head, "I'm not going to kill her in a crowded restaurant."

"You're not going to kill her period!"

"She ruined your life and you still want to protect her?"

Alaric sighs, "She's my wife... _Was_ my wife. I looked for the woman I married but she wasn't there. Whoever that is, she's cold and detached."

"Yeah, she's given up her humanity." Damon explains,

"Yeah, see, I don't get that. Stefan has his humanity, he's a good guy. And you're a dick and you kill people but I still see something human in you especially around Clara, who I haven't really met but hear she's very sweet and caring. But with her there was...nothing."

"You can turn it off, like a button you can press. I mean, Stefan's different. He wants the whole human experience. He wants to feel every episode of _How I Met Your Mother_ , so he shuts his feelings out. The problem is, as a vampire, your instinct is not to feel because everything you do feel is magnified times 50 like you are a woman perpetually on her period. Isobel chose the easier road - no guilt, no shame, no regret. I mean, come on, if you could turn it off, wouldn't you?"

"You haven't." Alaric counters,

"I have a reason not to now."

Back Inside, Elena and Isobel are continuing to talk.

"Why did you want to meet me? Can't be to just catch up."

"Because I'm curious about you. But the real reason is...I want what your uncle wants, Jonathan Gilbert's invention."

"How do you know my uncle?" Elena asks,

"I used to spend a lot of time here when I was younger. John had a crush on me for years. He was the first one that told me about vampires."

"So what made you want to be one?"

"It's a very long list of reasons, Elena. All of which I'm sure you've thought about."

Elena looks down as she remembers what Clara talked to her about last night but she's not sure if forever is what she wants even if it would be with Stefan and that makes her feel guilty.

"I'm sorry but I don't have what you're looking for." Elena says changing the subject.

She gets up to leave but Isobel catches her arm and forces her to sit down.

"Sit down (Stefan is going towards them) and tell your boyfriend to walk away. I want the invention."

"I don't have it." Elena says more forcibly now,

"I know that but Damon does and you're going get it for me."

"He's not going to give it to me."

Isobel smiles, "you underestimate how much he cares for you... he's in love with you." Isobel says smirking thinking she has gotten under her daughters skin but Elena just bursts out laughing causing Isobel to be confused and embarrassed and very irritated.

"Why are you laughing!" Isobel demands to know,

"Because at most Damon tolerates me for Stefan's sake, he is head over heels in love with his wife." Elena sees Isobel seems stunned by this information,

"What did Katherine tell you otherwise? Is she really so sensitive about never seducing Damon away from Clara without compulsion that she has deluded herself into thinking he is still hung up on her?" Isobel slams her hands down on the table tired of being laughed at.

"Get the invention or the blood will be on your hands." Isobel says ominously and then gets up and leaves.

Elena can't help it when her laughter turns to tears, she starts crying ashamed that woman is her mother even only by birth. Stefan is going toward her when Bonnie arrives impeding his path to Elena, who gets up and looks right at Bonnie, things have still been tense with them since her grams died.

Later in Alaric's classroom the gang is shaken after Isobel showed up while they were decorating floats kidnapped Jeremy and broke Matts arm all for this stupid device no one even knows does.

"Where is the device?"

Stefan sighs, "Damon has it. He's going to be difficult to reason with."

"We'll go to him, I'll talk to him. We'll get Clara on our side if that's what it takes." Elena says desperate to save her brother,

"He's not just gonna hand it over, especially if it's harmful to vampires i.e. Clara." That gives Elena an idea and she looks over at Bonnie.

"What if it's not?"

**Later at the Boarding House**

"Absolutely not!" Damon says, refusing to hear any more on the issue,

"Damon, just hear them out." Clara says trying to persuade him,

"I'm not gonna give the device to Isobel so she can give it to John who is no doubt going to use it to kill me and possibly Clara!" He says turning to adress the group,

Elena steps forward, "But it'll be useless, Bonnie can take its power away."

Damon looks to Clara but she also looks unsure having never met Bonnie before and clearly picking up on her hostility towards Damon.

"I don't trust her." Damon saying pointing to Bonnie

"I can remove the original spell." Bonnie replies confidently.

"John and Isobel will never know." Elena says trying to reasure him but Clara can see Damon is still uncomfortable with the idea.

"What if we get Jeremy back ourselves." Clara suggests trying to help.

Stefan shakes his head no, "Its too risky, Isobel is a vampire and Jeremy could be dead the second we walk in the door."

Damon turns to Bonnie, "Are you even up for this? I mean no offense, you're no Emily Bennett. Emily knew what she was doing."

"I've been practicing."

"It's not piano lessons, honey."

"What's your favorite book?" Bonnie asks,

"What?"

"Name a book, any book."

"Name a book...How about _Call of the Wild_ , Jack London"

A book suddenly flies and lands in Damon's hands. Damon looks at the book and sure enough it's _Call of the Wild_

"Cute parlor trick but I'm still not convinced."

"Well what would convince you?" Elena asks loosing her patience,

Just then Damon has an idea.

"Make Clara a daylight ring." Damon says to Bonnie.

"What?"

"You want something from me, I'm gonna need something from you."

Bonnie replies hating the idea, "No, no way I'm not gonna help a vampire I don't even know walk in the sun and endanger a bunch of people."

Damon shrugs, "oh well sucks to be Jeremy." 

"Bonnie please." Elena begs,

"I would need a ring," Bonnie says relenting under Elena's pleading eyes.

"Well lucky for you I happen to have one I've been saving just for this occasion."

"You do?" Clara asks touched,

"of corse, I told you I would make sure you got to be in the sun again." Clara smiles lovingly at her husband.

"You did, I love you." She says walking over and kissing Damon.

"I love you too." Damon pulls away from the kiss to say.

"Yeah thats great and all but we are kinda working under a time crunch here." Stefan replies trying to move things along,

Damon rolls his eyes and zooms out of the room and quickly comes back with the ring for Bonnie to enchant.

After it's done Bonnie rips open the drapes letting the sun in frightening Clara causing Damon to get angry. But a deal is a deal and he reluctantly hands over the device.

Elena breathed a sigh of relief now the only thing left was to make the exchange.

 


	14. Putting 2 & 2 Together

The meeting was set and they were all gathered hiding nearby incase Elena needed help with her psycho birth mom, but all Clara could do was gaze at her beautiful new ring. It was so perfect, she never had a ring or any jewelry so beautiful before.

Any metal was needed back then to melt down for bullets so Damon and her never bothered with a wedding band... and big engagement rings weren't really a thing in her time, not that they even had much of an engagement. 

"Its okay to look away, it's not going to disapear."

Damon leans over and whispers in her ear. 

"I just love it so much, I am so excited to feel the sun tomorrow."

Clara replied glowing with love and excitement. Damon felt proud he was able to do this for his wife.

"Well after 145 years I'd say you earned some tanning time."

[In the town square, Elena is waiting for Isobel who soon appears behind her.]

"Where is the device?" She immediately demands.

"Where is my brother?" Elena responds tersely 

"This isn't a negotiation!" Isobel says threateningly, "Where is the invention?"

"Where is my brother?" Elena counters not backing down.

"Do you really think that I came alone?" Isobel says condescendingly as Frank and Cherie arrive.

Elena tilts her head, "Did you really think that I came alone?"

Damon whispers "showtime," to Clara and they zoom out behind Isobel along with Stefan.

She looks at them giving extra time to examine Clara. But Clara doesn't shrink under her scrutiny and eventually, Isobel loses interest.

"For god sakes, call home," Isobel says just wanting the exchange over with so she can leave this pathetic town.

"What?"

"Call home and ask to speak to your brother Jeremy."

[Elena takes her phone and calls home.]

"Hello?" Jeremy answers after only two rings.

Elena holds the phone in both hands now, cherishing the sound of her brother's voice,

"Jeremy, are you okay?"

Jeremy assures her he's okay and Elena hangs up the phone relieved. She thinks for a moment and then addresses Isobel.

"You were never gonna hurt him."

"No, I was going to kill him. Don't look for any redeeming qualities in me. I don't have any."

Elena looks confused, "But you took a risk with Damon. How did you know that he was gonna give it to me?"

Isobel sighed, "Granted Clara was an unforeseen variable but never bet against a Petrova getting what she wants."

Elena walks closer and gives the device to Isobel.

"Thank you." She tells her.

"For what?" Isobel asks confused.

"For being such a monumental disappointment. It keeps the memory of my real mother perfectly intact."

Even Clara could see that stung Isobel a bit, she begrudgingly felt a little proud of Elena... it was hard to root for someone with Katherine's face but she made Stefan happy and she didn't seem to be anything like the one who tried to steal Damon from her.

"Goodbye, Elena. As long as you have a Salvatore on your arm, you're doomed. Katherine was smart. She got out. But we all know that you're not Katherine."

"Thank god for that," Clara mumbled loud enough for Isobel to hear, surely annoying the vampire that her parting line had been undercut.

Isobel looks at her daughter one last time and then takes off. Stefan hurries to Elena and embraces her. Clara looks sweetly over at Stefan and Elena before turning and wrapping herself in Damon's arms. 

"Where should go, I want the perfect spot to see the sun again."

"It's still not for a couple hours still."

Stefan approahes, "The quarry... you should take her to the quarry, it's where it all began after all."

Damon nods and he and Clara leave.

**Elsewhere:**

John is on the couch, his phone rings... It's Isobel.

"Hello?"

"On your doorstep, you'll find what you've been looking for." 

"And my ring?" John asks

"It's there, Don't screw this up. You know what you have to do, John."

[He opens the door and pick up the envelope.]

"I got it. I won't fail. How did you get it back (the ring) by the way?"

[He opens the envelope.]

"You better not fail! and It took awhile, Cherie and Frank had to practically toss the whole boarding house to find it. But back to what's important, Katherine wants all of those tomb vampires dead, and I want to add three more to that list."

[He retrieves his ring and puts it on his finger.]

"Let me guess," John says trailing off as Isobel jumps in to finish for him.

"Stefan and Damon... and that little nuisance, Clara."

"That was always part of the plan, especially after I lost this ring and my finger temporarily because of that little bitch. Consider them gone."

There's a pause before Isobel continues,

"She's our daughter, John. I don't want this life for her, we owe that to her."

"I know."

[He hangs up the phone.]

**Boarding House**

Damon is pouring himself a glass of scotch. Stefan arrives.

"What are you doing back home, I thought you and Clara were gonna watch the sunrise."

"Well, apparently a couple weeks outside of a tomb and my Mrs's has gotten a little reliant on the finer things. She's putting together a picnic with blankets and candles, it's going to be nauseatingly romantic."

Stephan smiled seeing through his brother, "Stop pretending you don't love it."

Damon jumps his eyebrows up and tilts his head conceding... not caring that his brother called him out, he does love the effort both he and Clara make so the other one feels loved and special, manly or not, he'll admit it... its nice to wined and dined. 

Stefan can see Damon's amused expression leave his face for a more pensive one.

"What is it? You look like you have something you need to say?"

Damon shrugs "Just happy it was you who fell for the doppelganger and not me... I do not envy you the conversation you're going to have to have with her... if you're going to tell her the truth anyway."

Stefan's forehead scrunches in confusion, "What truth?"

Clara comes out of the kitchen all packed and ready to go but she has overheard their conversation.

"Seriously, Stefan! I gave you too much credit. Now I owe Damon a... well I believe nowadays its called a job."

Damon flashes some cocky bedroom eyes making Stefan want to pluck his own eyes out.

"Clara and I bet if you would put it together or need it spelled out for you about John. I told her you'd be oblivious but she had to come to your defense."

"What are you guys talking about?"

"John, he's clearly Elena's father," Clara explains.

Stefan still looks confused, and can't fathom how they both arrived at that conclusion.

"Really?" Damon exclaims, "Are Clara and I the only ones around here who have the ability to put two and two together? Isobel! Hello? She dated John when she was 15; she gets pregnant and ends up at the doctor's office of John's brother. Now, what do you think John's role is in all this? I mean, go ahead, and think about it, I'll wait. Did you get it? You there yet?"

"Damon, be nice." Clara admonishes him

"Not my thing, sweet cheeks," Damon replies

"Just be grateful your cheeks are so sweet otherwise I wouldn't put up with half of what I do."

Damon raises his eyebrows playfully at her and moves closer to dramatically dip her and kiss her neck.

"So you guys think that John is Elena's father?" Stefan asks stunned they pieced that together.

The lovebirds are stopped from getting anymore randy in front of Stefan by Damon's overriding need to rub his little brother's nose in his ineptness. 

"Ding, ding, ding, ding!"

"What proof do you have?" Stefan challenges,

"I don't need any proof, that's for a DNA test for John, Elena and Maury Povich to do but I know how well you deal with these bombs so...Sleep tight." 

Clara hits Damon in the chest for his rudeness and the two make there way over to the quarry leaving Stefan stunned but their revelation. 

**Bonnie and Caroline**

"So you're not going to tell me what happened?" Caroline asks,

Bonnie looks away guiltily, "I did something bad, Caroline, and I lied about it."

"To who?"

"To Elena. I pretended to do something I didn't really do."

"What are you talking about?"

Bonnie sighs, "I couldn't do what she wanted me to do. It wasn't right. Grams would have never done it, so I couldn't either. But when Elena finds out, she's never gonna forgive me."

 


	15. New Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there will be proper lemons but not yet, however I promise you won't be disappointed.

**Damon and Clara were sat on a ridge watching the sun illuminate the beautiful quarry.**

"It's breathtaking" Clara exclaimed.

Damon brought Clara closer and kissed the side of her head savoring this moment with his wife.

"The first of a million sunsets we'll share together."

Clara tilted her head back and smiled, her eyes drawing him in for a kiss. They sat in this perfect moment happy and in love wrapped up in each other's arms, thankful for everything that had led them to be here together.

Damon stared at their interlocking fingers admiring how sexy his ring looked on his wife's finger when he thought of the one thing that could make this an even more perfect moment.

He brought his head down, his lips brushing against her ear and whispered...

"Marry me."

Clara turned around confused, "We're already married..."

  
Damon shrugged, "It was rushed and in secret, marry me again in a giant hideous white dress in front of everyone." Damon practically dared her.

"Really?"

Damon smiled and brought their lips together in a tender kiss.

"Let's start our eternity off together properly, what do you say?"

Clara smiled and felt tears welling up in her eyes,

"Yes, yes I'll marry you." Their kissing turned heated and they made love right there in the open not caring for anything but being as close to each other as possible. 

**John is with Mayor Lockwood, he's preparing the device.**

"This is the key. Once inserted, the device will be activated. It will work only once, for an estimated time of 5 minutes."

Ricard studies the device, "Yes, how does it work?"

"It's a high-pitched frequency that humans can't hear. Any vampires within a five-block radius will be incapacitated, exposing them. At that time, the sheriff's deputies will inject them with vervain and bring them here, when we will finish them off."

"And you're certain they're attacking tonight?" Richard asks.

"I have a source. One of the vampires from the tomb confirmed the attack."

**Town Square**

Elena dressed eerily like Katherine, has finished getting ready for the parade part of founders day and Stefan has pulled her aside to talk telling her something truly shocking... about John being her father.

"John?! Is that even possible?"

Stefan sighs, "there is no proof, but he dated Isobel when she was a teenager and he was the one who brought her to your dad's office for the delivery."

Elena shakes her head in disbelief, "My whole life I've never liked this man. I..."

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I just...I wanted to tell you before Damon dropped it on you in some typically inappropriate way."

Elena smiles sadly, "no, I'm happy that you told me, I just...I really hope that it's not true. What am I supposed to do? Do I just...confront him and say 'are you my biological father?'"

"I guess when you're ready."

"I'm never gonna be ready. Stefan, I have enough problems with the family that I actually care about. Jeremy hates me, and why wouldn't he? My journal gave him every single reason to."

"He's just hurt, he's confused." 

Elena doesn't look optimistic, "he's never going to forgive me for Vicki, for taking away his memories, for lying to him."

"He's your brother, he'll forgive you. Just give him some time." Stefan responded by thinking about his and Damon's evolving relationship. He sees his brother arrive with a very modern looking Clara and smiles a bit over their progress, not too long ago Elena was having to talk him out of violently killing Damon.

Clara was feeling very uncomfortable in her new jeans, it was so different from anything she had worn before and although she was completely covered she had never felt more exposed.

"Stop fidgeting, you look great." Damon leans over and whispers into Clara's ear.

"These pants are way too tight," she complains.

"You come from the time of corsets and you think skinny jeans are too tight?"

"Yes! At least corsets served a point, holding up your bosoms, making sure you never slouched, not to mention providing even us less then endowed ladies an hourglass shape, what is the point of these skin tight pants?"

"To show off your already perfect shape," Damon says while dancing his eyebrows and giving her a peck on the lips, he spies Elena out of the corner of his eye and panicked for a moment, she looked so much like Katherine. Clara followed his eyes and saw what had spooked him. Her jaw clenched and fists nearly crushed Damon's hands,

"Remind me that's Elena and not Katherine before I go over and rip her heart out."

Damon pulled her close trying to reassure her, and also himself...

"Its just Elena, I promise."

**A little later on**

Caroline is taking pictures with Matt before the Founders' Day Parade, in their Civil War costumes. Elena spots Jeremy and runs after him.

"Jeremy! I was wondering where you were. You look great, and you guys did a really great job on the float."

"Go away, Elena."

Elena sighs, "Jeremy, come on! Please! I don't want it to be like this between us."

Jeremy angrily turns around, "why don't you have Damon erase my memory again? Then I could go back to being your in-the-dark little brother."

"Jer, please."

"Just don't! You can't fix this that easily; something like this doesn't just get fixed."

He looks at her and leaves.

**The floats are parading as Carol Lockwood commentates the event.**

"And for a little local history, Mr. Saltzman's students have recreated Virginia's Battle of Willow Creek."

The float arrives in the street. Jeremy and Tyler are in it, they wave to the crowd and pretend to shoot at each other.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our stunning Miss Mystic Falls Court and their handsome escorts."

Elena, Stefan, Caroline and Matt, and the rest of the Mystic Falls Court and their escorts are on the float; they laugh and wave to the crowd.

"This is Caroline Forbes, Miss Mystic Falls. Aren't they beautiful?"

Bonnie is in the crowd. She smiles and waves at Elena. Elena smiles and waves back to Bonnie. Damon walks in front of Bonnie and stops, smiles and waves to Elena. She rolls her eyes and looks away. She looks at Stefan waves to the rest of the crowd. Damon turns around and sees Bonnie.

"What do you want?" Bonnie asks bitterly.

"Just watching the parade."

She begins to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from you!"

"I wanna say something to you." Damon tries to get Bonnie to stop and listen but she's not having it.

"Just leave me alone!" He finally gets in front of her,

"Thank you." His thanks confuses Bonnie allowing him to speak a bit longer,

"The device that Emily spelled could have killed me and you allowed my wife to walk in the sun for the first time in 145 years... I don't take what you did lightly so...thank you." Damon seems sincere and Bonnie has to remind herself just how horrible Damon has been in the past so no second thoughts about today bubble up.

"I did it for Elena." She tells him trying to dismiss his gratitude.

"I know that, but I'm still very grateful. And...I owe you."

"Just keep your wife in check," Bonnie warns.

"Relax I just introduced her to cotton candy she's on her way to her first sugar coma,"

She looks at him wearily for a moment and shrugs her shoulders. Damon sees he's not going to chip away the iciness between them and makes his exit.

"Enjoy the parade." He says as he leaves.

**The Grill**

Clara stops in for a drink to curb her cravings around all these warm-blooded people and overhears an argument between Elena and a young man she is assuming is her brother,

"I don't believe that we can't fix this. I lied, I was wrong. But you're my brother, Jer, and I love you, and I have to fix it. So just tell me, what can I do?"

"You go to hell, Elena,"

Damn, that was harsh, she decides to try and help mend fences and follows Jeremy out of the bar.

"Jeremy! Wait up."

"Who are you?" He asks eyeing her suspiciously.

"The dick who compelled you... the reason your mad at your sister, he's my husband."

"Yeah... I read something about that in Elena's journal along with several other things," He starts to walk away again.

"Wait, I'm sorry! About Damon... and your sister, I think she had only just learned about (whispers) vampires herself, and she was scared and overwhelmed. People tend to do gutless horrible things when they are scared and overwhelmed, and that's what your sister is... a person, a human being who made a mistake. She loves you and she's just thrown into this world that makes no sense to her so maybe instead of punishing her for not handling it perfectly you could be there for her and both navigate this dangerous world together... think about it."

Clara walks away from Jeremy leaving him emotionally exhausted... he missed when he just felt pissed at Elena, it was an easier emotion to manage.

**Dr. Gilbert's old office**

Sheriff Forbes is talking with John and Mayor Lockwood.

"You want to use our town as bait? It's too dangerous, it's insane!"

"We've gone over the plans with all your deputies, they're all on board." Richard tells her.

"You've gone behind my back?"

"Yeah," John pipes in, "because we knew this is exactly how you'd react."

"Our children are here."

Richard sighs, "Liz, we need to do this. We have no choice; this is the reason for the Secret Council. Our founding fathers created the Secret Council for just this purpose!"

[Long pause. They look at each other.]

"I'm the Sheriff, it's my call and I say no."

"Richard, let me speak to the Sheriff alone." John asks.

[He looks at them and leaves.]

"John, you're not thinking clearly, I'm not gonna change my mind about this."

She turns her back and goes toward her desk. John hits her behind the head. She's unconscious. He removes her gun belt and handcuffs her to the radiator. He looks at her and leaves.

**Outside**

Clara runs into Damon on the street,

"Hey, I've been looking for you, you alright."

Clara shakes her head, "I'm feeling a little shaky... I tried to help Jeremy forgive Elena, I don't think it went well. And then I forgot about the drink I was getting to calm me down and now there are _so many people_ Damon."

"Hey, hey shh shh shh, it's okay come here. We'll just go home alright, you did amazing today you're still new to all this, okay."

Clara nodded trying to take solace in Damon's words,

"You should stay, I'll be fine... I just need to get away from the crowds."

"You sure?"

Clara nodded again and Damon fished out his keys,

"Here at least take the car."

"You trust me to drive your car?" Clara asks surprised.

"You think I didn't know about you and Stefan sneaking out late at night so you could learn,"

Clara blushes with embarrassment,

"Relax it fine, it's not that far and no one will be on the roads right now. I'll see you when I get home." Damon kisses her on the forehead and Clara takes off.

 **It's night now in the Town Square the Sun is starting to set** ,

Damon is looking and walking around in the town square feeling about ready to go home when he runs into Anna.

"You're still around?" he asks surprised.

"There's something you need to know. The vampires from the tomb are planning an attack tonight."

Damon narrows his eyes at her, "How do you know this?"

"I went to them. They think I'm with them but I'm not. They want the Founding Families dead."

Dammit, Damon thinks, if something happens to Elena, Stefan will fall apart.

"When is this supposed to happen?"

"When the firework start."

Damon starts thinking quickly trying to understand what's happening,

"John Gilbert wants to use that invention on them."

"Then we can't be here!"

Damon shakes his head, "It doesn't work, it's been deactivated."

"Well, then a lot of people are gonna die."

"Where are they right now?"

"They're already here, Damon."

**The tomb vampires are meeting in front of a building.**

Vampire leader: "Remember, we don't know which of them ingests vervain. It's not about the feed, it's about the kill. You know what to do."

[They walk into the crowd and disperse.]

Damon is walking toward Alaric.

"Ric!"

"Yeah?"

"You keep those nifty little vampire darts in the car?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Because this square is crawling with tomb vampires. I think we might need a stake or two." That wakes Alaric up out of his post-Isobel fog and he gets ready for action.

"Yeah, got it."

Alaric leaves to get supplies, Damon sees Stefan and Elena. He goes toward them and grabs Elena by the arm,

"What are you doing?" Elena asks offended by his manhandling. 

"Saving your life. Fifteen words or less...Tomb vamps are here. Founding families are their target. (To Stefan) Get her out of here, now!"

[Damon starts to leave.]

"Wait, what about Clara?" Stefan asks concerned.

"Don't worry she already went home and that's more than fifteen words, Stefan," Damon tells him as he jogs away.

"Wait," Elena says turning to Stefan, "Jeremy is out here somewhere."

"Let's go find him, come on!"

**Mayor Lockwood is giving his speech.**

"For one hundred and fifty years, Mystic Falls has been the kind of town that everybody wants to call home: safe, prosperous, welcoming. And we have the Founders to thank for that. That's why I'd like to dedicate this evening's firework display to their legacy."

Everyone applause, the tomb vampires on in the crowd, looking at the Mayor. He looks at one of the deputies.

**Dr. Gilbert's Old Offices**

John is waiting for the signal. One of the deputies is with him.

"Get in position."

The deputy goes out. John goes toward the device and looks at it.

**Town Square**

"Enjoy the show!" Richard says finishing his remarks,

The firework starts

 **Dr. Gilbert's Old Offices**

John is preparing the device, Damon arrives.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do," John says without turning around,

Damon goes toward him but John activates the device. Damon falls, he grabs the sides of his head he is shocked and confused and quickly the piercing pain makes him scream out and collapse.

**Outside**

Stefan falls experiencing the same pain Damon just did, frightening Elena.

"Stefan, what's going on? What's happening?"

"My head!"

"What?" Elena asks not understanding.

"My head!!"

Stefan is on the ground now holding his head. Elena's with him feeling helpless, a deputy runs toward him but Alaric runs interference and hurriedly talks to him.

"Hey, I got this one. There's one over there. Take this, go! Go! Go!"

The deputy leaves. Alaric goes toward them and helps Stefan to get up. They go toward the stairs.

"I don't know what happened, he just dropped."

"Yeah, he's not the only one. The cops have gotten everyone who's gone down, injecting them with vervain."

"What?" Elena asks appalled and frightened.

"They're rounding up the vampires..." Alaric tells her.

Carol Lockwood is with her husband and he too is on the floor.

"Please help him, he just went down." She begs for help but the deputies inject him with vervain. Mayor Lockwood is unconscious and there is blood leaking out his ears.

**Inside the Grill**

Anna and Jeremy are hiding in the restrooms.

"Ahhhhhhhh my head!" She screams loudly causing one of the deputies to enter.

Deputy (into the radio): "I got one."

They inject her with vervain, the other holds Jeremy back from helping her.

"Hey, what are you doing? What are you doing? Hey, leave her alone!" Jeremy tries to break free of their hold but can't.

One deputy takes her, the other stays with Jeremy.

"Leave her alone! Anna!!!"

 **Dr. Gilbert's Old Offices**

[The device is stopped. John takes everything back and goes in the basement. Damon is on the floor, unconscious. Deputies are bringing more vampires.]

"The device is done; the only thing keeping them down is vervain. We don't have much time, let's finish this."

[Damon begins to wake up; one of the Deputies is pouring gasoline everywhere. John begins to leave but Anna catches his leg. She's on the floor. He looks at her.]

"Anna."

[Damon turns his head and looks at them.]

John tells the deputy to head on up that he can handle things down here.

[The Deputy leaves, Anna tries to get up, Damon is still looking at them. John takes a stake from his back.]

"Please...no!" Anna begs for her life but 

he stakes her without hesitation or remorse, and Damon can do nothing but watch. John pours more gasoline as he goes up the stairs and throws a match down causing flames to erupt. Already some of the vampires begin to burn. Damon looks at them and tries to take comfort in the fact Clara will be saved but it's not enough he is pissed, he finally got his happy ending and now it literally has all gone up in flames.

**In The Town Square**

Stefan is better, he's talking with Elena.

"Are you okay?" Elena checks again.

"It was like needles were piercing my skull and it just stopped."

[Alaric arrives.]

"I saw at least five vampires go down. They're taking them to your family's old building."

"It's the Gilbert's device. It has to be." Stefan realizes.

"But how did he get it to work? Bonnie unspelled it."

"Maybe she didn't." Alaric suggests. 

"She did, we saw her do it!" Elena exclaims defending her friend.

"No, no, no, he's right," Stefan says, "Think about it. We asked Bonnie to deactivate a device that could protect people against vampires."

"So we could protect you."

"And Damon... vampir-" Stefan stops himself suddenly aware he doesn't know if his brother is one of the vampires that were caught, "Where is Damon?"

Alaric shakes his head "I don't know. I haven't seen him since this started." They all look at each other worried.

**Back in the basement**

The fire is still blazing on. Damon looks around him and sees the mayor which surprises him.

"Mayor. Is that you?"

"What are you doing here?" Richard asks surprised having seen Damon in the sun before.

"I'm a vampire. What's your excuse?" Damon thinks on this more and is stumped that Richard found himself down here, "No, really. The vervain didn't affect you, you're not a vampire, what the hell are you?"

The mayor scoots backward to get away from Damon. He bumps into the tomb vampires' leader, who is waking up.

Vampire leader: "Mayor Lockwood!"

The vampire leader reaches an arm around Mayor Lockwood from behind and grabs his chin, pulls violently and snaps his neck.

**Town Square**

Elena and Stefan see John and race to get answers from him,

"Where is Damon?" Stefan demands to know.

"With the rest of them, where he should be... where you should be, It's over for Damon." John says uncaringly.

"You're crazy!" Elena mutters in semi-shock.

"Why? Because I'm doing what should have been done a hundred and forty-five years ago? This is the right thing, Elena."

Stefan is looking at the smoking building. John looks at him.

"Go ahead, you won't make it out. It'll save me the trouble of killing you myself."

Stefan looks at Elena.

"You know the building well, is there another way in?" Elena thinks for a moment and then remembers,

"Utility door, there's one around the side."

He goes toward the building, Elena follows him but John catches her arm.

"You take one more step and I'll alert those deputies that they missed a vampire."

"I'm asking you not to."

"That doesn't mean anything to me." John replies thinking he has beaten her but she surprises him,

"As my father, it should."

There's a long pause, they look at each other.

"You know?"

"I wasn't sure, now I am." She breaks her arm free of him and goes towards the building.

Stefan runs towards the emergency door but Bonnie arrives and tries to stop him,

"Hey, you can't go in there!"

[Stefan opens the door.]

"The fire will take you out." Bonnie warns.

"He's my brother, Bonnie!"

[He goes into the building, he tries to open the basement's door but the doorknob is too hot. Bonnie is looking at the building when Elena arrives.]

"Stefan!"

"Elena, you can't go in there!"

Elena spins around on her friend, "Bonnie, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry I lied to you."

She catches Elena's arm, realizing she can't let her friend lose her boyfriend like this, she closes her eyes and begins to recite a spell that will hopefully allow Stefan a chance to make it out.

"Ex spiritum intacullum, in terrum incendium, fes matos salvis adisdum!"

In the building, Stefan can finally open the door but the fire is too large. Suddenly, the flames diminish, thanks to Bonnie's spell. Stefan goes into the basement and finds Damon.

"Damon! Come on, hurry!"

Stefan picks Damon up and vamp-runs out of the basement. Outside, Bonnie finishes her spell and looks at Elena.

"Bonnie...Bonnie, what is it? Are they gonna be okay?" Bonnies not sure, but she's done what she can,

Stefan and Damon come out of the building, Elena runs toward them.

Damon struggles for a while to get the smoke out of his lungs but finally turns his body over on the pavement and looks to Stefan,

"Thank you, brother."

Stefan gives him a nod unable to express yet what his brother means to him after hating him for so long but knowing now he doesn't want to live without him.


	16. Oh Hell No

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I promise real lemons are coming

Clara was relaxing in the tub after Damon had introduced her to this luxury she spoiled herself with a long soak with all the trimmings any chance she got. She figured her first crowded public outing was largely a success, she hadn't revealed her vampire face and no humans got bit so she had earned this treat.

She heard the door open and felt her body relax even more, if it was possible, now that Damon was home.

Damon raced into the bathroom where he could smell the expensive bath salts were originating from desperate to see his wife after such a close call today.

**Damon POV:**

Clara looks up at me with her eyes filled with nothing but joy at having me home but slowly I see her take in the state of me and worry etches across her face. She's so beautiful I don't even try to hold myself back I move quickly towards her and climb right into the bath clothes still on and just hold her close to me so relieved I get to have her in my arms again.

She doesn't say anything or demand answers she just cradles me to her breast and strokes my hair. After a couple moments, she flips us around and starts peeling my soaked clothes off. She keeps searching my face and body for answers but aside from soot, there's not much evidence of what happened. She seems to get it was serious whatever it was without me having to say anything. She strokes the side of my face and looks deep into my eyes trying to communicate something but I'm not able to get it.

She zooms out of the tub and bathroom and I am left feeling empty without her. She's back very quickly thanks to our convenient vamp speed and she has blood bags with her. I smile at the thoughtfulness of my girl but then she does something I didn't expect she tears open the bags and drains them fast... I am not sure what she's doing until she gets back in the bath with me and takes me in her arms again this time she is to my side, she tilts her head on my shoulder exposing her long beautiful neck and now I understand what she was trying to communicate.

I am blown away by the gesture, we've bitten and tasted each other before usually during some extracurricular activities but this is different. She pounded those bags and is clearly allowing me to have a full meal from her. Its giving and selfless and something no one but her would think to do. It allows me to take even more comfort from her than I thought possible and god does it make me fall in love with her all over again.

**Clara POV:**

I don't know what happened but Damon looked haunted when he came home, he practically collapsed on top of me like he had returned from battle. The idea that Damon had faced some trouble tonight and I hadn't been there saddened me tremendously. After holding him to me I could smell the smoke in his hair, I turned us around and examined his clothes... there was more evidence of a fire and the magnitude of what might have happened tonight, that I might have lost him hits me like a tidal wave.

Damon once said I would cut him open and climb inside him if he'd let me and right now that's what I want to give to him. I want him to feel more safe and protected with me then he's ever felt before. I race downstairs and retrieve 4 bloodbags, I don't know what kind of damage he sustained but I hope it will be enough.

Back upstairs I see my naked and exhausted husband looking so pained, was it because of my absence? I did try to be as quick as possible but I hate that I've caused him pain. I quickly down the blood and make myself available to him. He quickly catches on and soon his teeth pierce my neck deeper than they ever have before. It's painful, but it's pain I welcome because it means he's here with me now... that all this is real and I haven't lost him. Thank God, thank god he's still here, I wouldn't want to live without him.

I am growing weaker now but I don't care, I'd let him drain me completely, I'd give everything for him.

**Damon POV:**

I know I should stop, I've taken too much but I don't want to ever be out of this moment. All my life from Lilly to Guiseppi to Stefan to the army... no one has ever taken care of me they way Clara does. And every time she finds a new way to astound me with her care of me I want to soak it all up, I won't ever have enough of her... it isn't possible.

I finally release her and pull back. She looks so vulnerable like this. I would do anything for her if she had been in that fire tonight... I don't want to imagine it but I think I would have killed every single person in this town to avenge her, including Elena... I wouldn't even blink. I love her so damn much, more than should be possible for one being to love another.

I bite into my wrist and bring it up to her mouth, I help her latch on and then I flip our positions so she is on top of me her back to my chest. I wrap my other arm around her waist and held her as tight as possible without hurting her. Its like I have my own heart in my hands right now, I should feel weak and vulnerable but I feel wild and free.

**Stefan POV:**

I see Elena standing by herself and go over to her with an update.

"The fire is out. The story is the building's old wiring is what caused it."

She nods absently, I'm not sure she even heard me, "did you see where Damon went?"

I try to tell myself not to be jealous that's who she asks for right away

"Probably home to Clara," I tell her.

"Right, of course." She suddenly wraps her arms around me, "I'm so glad you're okay."

I am able to exhale and relax at that, today was intense and it feels nice to be right where I want to be at last.

"I try so hard...to hate him. I guess it's just pointless. Truth is, I think I forgave him a long time ago." I admit to her.

"It's okay, he's your brother, hopefully, mine will forgive me someday too but I know he loves me without having to find forgiveness that's the beauty of siblings."

I rest my forehead on hers and breath her in

"Jenna called, Jeremy's home, I'm just gonna run over to the school to pick up my dress, my clothes, and the rest of my stuff and then I'll check on him."

**I let her go and run into Bonnie on my way home,**

"Oh, hey."

Bonnie has trouble looking me in the eye, "hey."

It's awkward for a bit but I know I need to thank her for her help today.

"I'm very grateful Bonnie, I hope you know that."

"I do...but I hope you know that I didn't do it for you or Damon, Elena is my best friend and because she loves you, I couldn't let you die."

"I still appreciate it, and I hope you know how much I love Elena as well." She nods but still has her arms crossed over her chest looking defensive.

"I know you do, and I believe you are good especially for a vampire, and I know we both want to protect the people we care about. The difference is, for you, Damon is one of them. You saw what I was able to do tonight. I know who I am now, and if Damon spills so much as one drop of innocent blood, I'll take him down. Even if I have to take you with him."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," I tell her.

"Let's hope it doesn't."

I finally get home to the boarding house and I can hear Damon and Clara going at it, ugh maybe I'll just go out for a walk or something.

I feel my phone vibrate and I see it's Elena. She is frantic something about John and Jeremy I race over to her house praying for this hell of a day to finally just end.

Elena tells the EMT to let me in and fills me in on what has happened. I have to reassure her Jeremy isn't turning into a vampire, that Anna's blood it just healing the effects the pills would have had so he's not dying with her blood in his system. I tell Elena to go to the hospital and I'll watch over Jeremy for her.

She called me back not long after arriving at the hospital apparently Caroline had been gravely injured in a car accident and Jenna was acting weird saying she had been home earlier when I know she was still at the grill with me.

Suddenly a terrifying thought occurs to me and I know its time to interrupt Damon and Clara's lovers' party.

**Damon POV:**

_Fuck, yes! So good, almost..._

God, that was fantastic. Whew...

"times up."

"uh?" I reply vaguely registering my wife speaking but still pretty out of it.

"no more avoiding, it's time to tell me what happened tonight."

"ugh, do I have to?"

"yes."

Sighing I turn towards her, "turns out Miss Bonnie Bennett never deactivated the Gilbert device. All the vampires went down and were injected with vervain and brought to the basement of the old Gilbert building. John killed Anna, she never stood a chance, and mayor Lockwood was down there too. If Stefan hadn't gone in to save me I wouldn't have made it."

I look over to Clara expecting to see fear in her stormy eyes but she surprises me again her vampire face on full she is nothing but livid, damn that gets me hot for her all over again. I'm about to do something about it before Stefan bursts in, I quickly cover Clara.

"what the hell, Stefan?!"

"you both need to come with me Caroline and John are both in the hospital."

"great 2 people we don't care about we can continue with our own plans for the evening, now leave!"

"Jeremy also tried to kill himself tonight. Elena really needs us. NOW."

I look to Clara and she has suppressed her vampire self and looks nothing but concerned now, ugh guess we're getting involved in more mystic falls drama.

Clara is getting dressed and I'm downstairs fixing myself a drink when Stefan comes up to me.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of Clara, but we might have a much more pressing problem."

I roll my eyes, "relax, I'm sure whatever's got your knickers in a twist can't be that bad."

"Elena told me Jenna swears she was home earlier when John was attacked."

"and.."

"and I know she wasn't, she was at the grill with me."

"failing to see what's so dire about this"

"who else do we know that could be mistaken for Elena that would attack John?"

.

.

.

_Oh, holy fuck no!_


	17. All Your Fault

**3rd Person POV:**

Clara, Damon, and Stefan all raced over to the hospital, Damon was still in shock after hearing Stefan's theory about Katherine being back. He was torn, on one hand, this was a chance to finally kill the bitch, on the other hand, he was no longer so confident as he was before he got Clara back, what if he couldn't pull it off?

For one it wasn't like she was still unconscious and weak from being blood starved... plus he had a lot to lose now, Clara and his mostly repaired relationship with his brother, and that made him vulnerable. And he knew vulnerability to Katherine was like a drop of blood in the water to a shark, she would sense it immediately and go for the kill.

For the longest time Damon hadn't been afraid of dying, but now the thought terrified him.

Part of him thought he should just take Clara and run... disappear, but that would mean leaving his brother who had just literally walked into a burning building for him. _Grrr, caring was such a drag!_

**Meanwhile...**

Clara was furious and for the first time in her vampire life, she was out for blood. She wanted to skin both John Gilbert and Bonnie Bennett alive, and slowly lower their exposed bodies into a pit of lava. She didn't know where in Mystic Falls she would find a pit of lava but she could certainly make skinning them alive happen.

They walked into the hospital and the smell of blood hit her but she was too angry to care, plus unlike in the square she had already satiated her cravings.

She saw Damon break off to talk to Sheriff Forbes, and she went to follow. Stefan kept walking most likely looking for Elena.

_"Liz, I just heard from Stefan, I came as soon as I got the message. Is she okay?"_

Liz looks up at Damon, "she's in surgery, it's...they're doing everything they can."

**Clara POV:**

The poor woman looked to be in turmoil at the thought of possibly losing her daughter, she tilted her head motioning to Damon to have a private word with her, he turned back to me giving me a kiss,

"I'll just be a second, don't kill anyone without me," he warns me.

"No promises."

Walking away I heard Ms. Forbes ask for Damon's help,

_"Sure, anything Liz."_

_"Mayor Lockwood is dead. They thought he was a vampire. They put him in the basement._ "

Must be another victim of John and the witch.

_"Mayor Lockwood was a vampire?"_

I rolled my eyes, an unladylike habit I had recently picked up, my husband was not a skilled liar but he seemed to do this sparkle thing with his eyes that distracted all ladies even Sheriff Forbes apparently.

_"No, no. A mistake was made, they said he dropped like the others when John's device went off but he...he couldn't have been a vampire, I've known the man my whole life and now Carol Lockwood is gonna want answers and all I can think of right now is Caroline and..."_

I can hear her crying now, and Damon, surprisingly, is comforting her. she must really mean something to him... I realize she's his friend.

He'll probably deny it but he wouldn't comfort just anyone even if he was still worried about getting inside information, this definitely told me he liked or at the least didn't dislike Ms. Elizabeth Forbes, which for my husband is pretty big.

I walk over to Caroline's hospital room and hear Elena and the witch.

_"Bonnie. How's Caroline?"_

_"She's weak. They don't know if she's going to make it."_

"Well, she has you to thank for that doesn't she?" I say announcing myself as I enter the room

 

**3rd person POV:**

Bonnie narrows her eyes at Clara,

"Why are you even here? you don't know or care about Caroline."

Clara tilts her head at Bonnie, "my husband, you remember him right... he's one of the many you tried to burn alive tonight, he's friends with her mother, Elizabeth... she's distraught about losing her child."

"No one died yet, she hasn't lost her," Elena says jumping in trying to diffuse the tension between Bonnie and Clara.

"Actually your wrong, many people have died already including Richard Lockwood, he's the father of a good friend of yours yes? And not a vampire... strange neither is Caroline and yet they both are going to pay for your hatred, not to mention Jeremy."

This comes as news to Bonnie, "what are you talking about, what happened to Jeremy?"

Elena started to speak but Clara interrupted

"Didn't you hear, after learning his girlfriend, Ana, sweet little Ana who only longed for her mother and a normal life, was staked while unconscious by his bastard of an uncle he tried to take his own life, yet even more blood that would have been on your hands."

Bonnie looks shocked and sickened

"It wasn't like that, he had some of Ana's blood he was trying to become a vampire so he could flip his switch and stop feeling," Elena says trying to stand up for her friend.

"Because that's so much better," Clara says condescendingly. 

Elena takes a deep breath, "look Clara I know that your upset but Bonnie feels bad enough as it is and plus she helped save Damon, so could you back off a little."

Clara narrowed her eyes at Elena and stalked towards her,

Bonnie did her exploding aneurysm spell causing Clara to grip her head but just as quickly she got closer to Bonnie and slapped her making her lose her concentration.

"You think you can hurt me little girl? I spent 145 YEARS starving, having my insides turn to sandpaper and do everything possible to rip me apart from the inside out so just _maybe_ my heart would rip too, and the pain would  finally end. And Elena, no I will not show any kind of mercy to this _witch,_ she helped save Stefan, not Damon. If Stefan hadn't raced in to save his brother would you have still done the spell to help my husband escape?" She asked Bonnie who was quiet and looked down somewhat guiltily.

"See," She says to Elena. "Just know this you sanctimonious little witch," she continues turning to Bonnie, "I am 145 year old vampire, the very thing you hate, yet you have more blood at your feet then I. I haven't ever taken human life... by the end of the day you'll have been responsible for two. Think about that the next time you want to try and crucify my husband for something."

With that, she exited leaving the two girls speechless.

She sees Damon in the hall and having riled herself up so much she drags him into the nearest empty room, shoving a chair under the handle in case someone tries to come in.

"What are you doing."

"No talking," She says while flashing over to him.

She starts attacking his neck while her hands rub up and down his torso. Damon moans half in pleasure and half in frustration.

"As much as I would like to do this right now..."

Clara pulls away slightly to scold him,

"I said no talking."

She strips herself completely leaving Damon's eyes to widen out of surprise and darken out of lust. She throws herself at him again only this time Damon doesn't hesitate, sure they could get caught, he could lose any respect he had garnered from his brother and others in the town, not too mention there was a psychotic 500-year-old vampire looming somewhere... probably wouldn't be a good time to get caught literally with your pants down but his hot naked wife was clawing at him... he may not be human but he was still just a man and he could only resist so much.

**Damon POV:**

We had been rough and fast with each other before but we hadn't ever done it in public like this and it was making me harder then I had ever fucking been in my life.

Part of me wanted the whole town hear what I could do to my wife how we belonged together, that they could never dream of coming close to what she and I have but on the other hand I didn't want anyone to hear the sounds Clara made, I was greedy and wanted them all for myself.

We keep going at it getting more and more wild with each other.

My God, I love my wife. I love how much she surprises me and challenges me and still loves and takes care of me.

_No stop that, no getting soft... well, that's not likely to happen with her wrapped around me naked assaulting my neck, but I don't want to get soft emotionally, this is hot and risky sex- we can be tender some other time. Right now its time to show my girl the wildest time of her life._

I disrobe, I have to slow down a little bit to make sure nothing gets ripped... we do have to walk out of this room eventually.

Finally... I am free of my restrictive clothing, that was getting _painfully_ tight. I smirk a little remembering how Clara talks about my pants, she says they're "obnoxiously tight" it's cute how jealous she gets when other women check me out, it turns me on that she thinks of me for her eyes only... really if she thinks that's any way to get me to stop dressing like I do she is so very wrong.

Speaking of wrong my wife is still running this show, time to show her who she belongs to.

I throw her on the bed and restrain her wrists, she's writhing around like crazy... it almost looks like she is trying to buck off an invisible bull... damn she must really need it, god that's so hot.

 _Don't you worry baby I'm gonna give it to you_. But first... let's see if we can make her _beg._

"Damon!" her voice is all hot and breathy, _come on baby tell daddy what he wants to hear._

"Please, Damon... I can't take it, I need you. Fuck me, fuck me please Damon." I give her an evil smirk in victory but she narrows her eyes at me and uses her vampire strength to rip through the restraints, she's out of that bed and tackling me to the ground in the blink of an eye, I am shoved down and taken by my wife.

She rides me fast and hard, I want to be angry at her for cutting my plans short but it's hard to stay mad when you have the view I currently have, her modest yet oh so succulent breasts are bouncing like crazy, her head is tilted back in ecstasy, her stomach taut as she arches her back. My hands are greedy all over her, they finally reach her delicious mounds and her hands flash to mine, holding them there causing me to squeeze her breasts tighter.

I yank myself up and grab her head so she is facing me. One hand stays torturing her breasts and my other holds on to the back of her neck tightly so she can't look away.

"Tell me, tell me how bad you need it, what only I can give you... I want to hear you say it,"

"Yes! god yes! I need you, Damon. Only you, Yes, yes! don't stop, please, please give it to me, harder, harder, yes! oh Fuck yes! yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! Cum inside me baby, please, please give it to me." she says starting to whimper a bit

"Not until you have the most earth-shattering orgasm of your life."

I flip us around. I briefly think for a moment how disgusting this hospital floor probably is... but then it kinda starts to work for me. I run my hand from her breast up to her throat and wrap it around. I squeeze just enough that she starts to feel a little pain, and I can feel her squeezing me back down below, _I know how to give my girl what she needs_.

I lower my self down so I can whisper in her ear.

"Say it baby, say who you belong to."

"You, I'm all yours Damon, I'm yours."

I squeeze her throat even harder as I bite hard into her left breast drinking from her. She detonates immediately when my teeth pierce her delicious ivory skin taking me over the edge with her.  
.  
.  
.

Fuck, that was incredible... I think I left my body briefly. I don't even care if the whole hospital heard us... though I think we're good, we weren't that loud... for the most part.

**Stefan POV:**

Tell me they are not doing what I think they're doing!

Ew, oh god. I thought getting them out of the house would have halted their marathon but apparently, they are taking their activities on the road. I try to block them out as I go to meet Elena in Caroline's room, Jeremy is recovering fine as is John but it doesn't look like Caroline is going to make it.

"Stefan, thank god you're here." She runs into my arms and a try to comfort her even if all I have is a hug.

I look over at Bonnie and she looks weird like she's not really here.

"Is she okay?" I whisper to Elena nodding over to Bonnie, Elena sighs tiredly,

"Not really, Clara came by and really laid into her over everything that happened today, basically saying it was all Bonnie's fault."

"Bonnie's still grieving her grandmother and is still pretty new to the supernatural, this isn't on her, it's on John, plus she helped me save Damon."

"Yeah, well Clara doesn't see it that way."

"You can save her," Bonnie says still staring off into space, worrying Elena and me, to be honest.

"What?" Elena asks not following, I, unfortunately, think I know what Bonnie is about to ask.

"Stefan, he can give Caroline some blood, he can save her."

It was true I could but Elena seems resistant, probably over what happened with Jeremy tonight.

"No, no way," Elena says shaking her head.

"No, just enough to heal her. She will be safe in the hospital and it will be out of her system in a day, she will be better Elena."

"It's too risky, I can't agree to that."

Bonnie takes a step towards her, "it's not just up to you, she can't di, Elena, I hate it but Clara's right it would be all my fault. Tyler already lost a dad today, we can't lose Caroline too."

I can see Elena softening under Bonnie's plea and so does Bonnie, she turns to me seemingly coming back into some strength and forcefully tells me,

"Do it. This is Caroline. We can't let her die. Do it."

I look over to Elena for confirmation which she reluctantly gives.

I walk over and bite into my wrist before giving Caroline by blood, hopefully, this works as annoying as Caroline Forbes is I know how badly Elena will hurt if she loses someone else.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you the real lemons would come soon.


	18. The Fooled

The next day at a memorial service for Richard Lockwood Katherine tried to make a move on Stefan but he caught on realizing she wasn't Elena... now the gang officially knows she's in town.

 **Boarding House**  
Clara is pacing around her and Damon's room, the idea of Katherine being here has enraged her. She wants to find her and squeeze the sides of her head together until there is nothing left of her manipulative self-serving brains.

"Look, not that I'm not enjoying watching you trying to start a fire by the friction your pacing feet are making but are you coming to this little pow-wow we're having at Elena's or not?" Damon asks Clara.

**Over at the Gilbert Residence**

Damon, Stefan, Elena, and Clara are in the kitchen.

"Did she say what she wanted?" Damon asks Stefan, the only one besides Uncle John she's shown her face to.

"No."

Damon shakes his head, "woman certainly knows how to make an entrance."

"She said she was hoping to fool at least one of us, What does that mean?"

Damon smirks, "it means I was too busy having an epic sex marathon with my wife for her to try and dig her talons into me."

Clara is mortified, "Damon! That's private!"

"Not when you take the marathon to the hospital." Stefan quips.

"Oh god, you heard us?"

"Wait you guys really did it in the hospital while Caroline was fighting for her life?!" Elena asks appalled.

"Aren't we a little bit off topic now?" Damon asks, "we're supposed to be figuring out what to do about the evil double of Elena."

Elena sighs heavily having had just about all she can handle of this insanity that had become her life.

"Are you alright?" Stefan asks moving closer to her.

Elena shakes her head, "no, I'm not alright. I thought that with all the tomb vampires gone things would get better."

"I know. We all did."

Then Elena has a horrifying thought, "Katherine was in this house, that means she's been invited in, what are we gonna do?"

"Move," Damon suggests earning him an elbow to the ribs by Clara

"Very helpful, thank you," Elena replies sarcastically.

Clara addresses Elena, "Katherine wants you dead; there's zero you can do about it; you would be dead but you're not. Trust me I thought for sure that what her plans for me were but it wasn't... she wanted to break me down and when that failed she tried to sentence me to live forever without the man I love... the only man to refuse her charms, without constant use of compulsion anyway. What I am saying is she clearly she has other plans for you... maybe for all of us."

Stefan nods, "she's right and we need to find out what those other plans are and not provoke her in the process." He says directing that last part to Damon, "she'll try to divide and conquer we can't let her, we have to stand by each other and not give in to whatever mind games she tries to turn us against each other with."

They all accept the truth of that and let it sink in each making a silent promise not to let her make them doubt the others, to stay strong and united.

Elena pipes up with an idea, "John must know something. There has to be a reason why Katherine tried to kill him."

Damon shrugs, "she's Katherine. She loves to play games and you're fooling yourself if you think you're going to find out what she's been up to before she wants you to know."

"No, actually Elena's right, John could know something through Isobel. Your mother, she was in touch with Katherine so maybe we can go to the hospital and get him to talk." Stefan says disagreeing with Damon.

"I've got a better idea."

They all turn to Damon,

"What's that?" Elena asks.

"I'm just gonna ignore the bitch." He grabs Clara's hand and starts to move out of the kitchen to leave, "See you."

"Is that smart?" Elena says turning to Stefan but its Clara that answers her.

"No."

Damon sighs and explains his thinking, "if Katherine thinks she's being ignored it will lure her out, she'll make a move."

"Yeah? And then what?" Stefan asks.

"Stake her, rip her head off, something poetic. We'll see."

"You know how it turns me on when you talk like that... full of heat, confidence, and fortitude, but we can't half-ass this... if we are gonna stand a chance we need a real plan," Clara tells Damon.

They all agree to keep thinking of a way to take Katherine down and Stefan and Elena make their way to the hospital to talk with John.

The next couple days Clara is hard at work trying to outsmart Katherine, she even misses Mayor Lockwood's funeral to keep tinkering with her plans.

When the gang gets back they are all a little worse for wear,

"I take it the evil witch struck again?"

"Yup!" Damon exclaims, "Made a few threats, pretended to be Elena some more and declared her undying love for Stefan."

"That's not exactly what happened," Stefan says contradicting Damon.

"Well please, all have a seat because I have a plan," Clara says ushering them all into the parlor.

"Really, you do? What is it?" Elena asks.

"First I'm gonna need the deed to this house."

"What?" Damon asks confused.

"Why would you need that?" Stefan follows up equally as perplexed as his brother.

"Because we are going to sign it over to Elena."

"Wait... what?" Elena asks shocked.

"You will invite the three of us in and that is it, this place will be safe from all other vampires, Katherine won't be able to get you in here," Clara explains.

"But what about Jeremy and Jenna?" Elena asks.

Clara takes a seat next to Elena knowing this next part will be hard on her.

"Jenna and Jeremy will be compelled to leave, get far away from here. I know it's not what you want but Jeremy is struggling here and he needs a fresh start and deserves to have it far away from all this danger and craziness and Jenna will be there to take care of him, it'll be for the best.

Elena your greatest weakness is the people you love... Katherine will sniff that out immediately and won't be above using Jenna and Jeremy against you. I know you didn't want any more lies but this will be the best thing you can do to, to give them a safe normal life."

"she has point," Stefan says agreeing with his sister-in-law.

Elena shakes her head, "no, no, I promised him I wouldn't ever have one of you compel him again, I can't... Jenna and Jeremy, their the only family I have left. I can't send them away."

Stefan sighs, "you might have to, Clara is right Katherine won't think twice about hurting either of them if it means getting what she wants."

"But we don't even know what she wants yet, no I won't do it."

Elena gets up and storms out not hearing the rest of Clara's plan.

**Later that night,**

Damon walks into the living room and pours himself a drink. He starts to walk out but stops. Sensing the devil herself has decided to drop by.

"Very brave of you to come here."

He turns his head. Katherine is sitting on the couch.

"I wanted to say goodbye. Where's the Mrs's I'll say tootaloo to her too."

"Even more brave of you to mention my wife in my presence, what happened to secret evil diabolical plan you no doubt came to town with, Leaving so soon?"

Katherine shrugs, "I know where I'm not wanted."

"Quite sure that's one thing you've never known...Don't pout. It's not attractive on a woman your age."

Katherine scoffs, "ouch."

Damon drinks his drink and starts to walk out of the room. Katherine superspeeds in front of him stopping him in his tracks.

"What, no goodbye kiss?"

Damon thinks about it for half a second, "why don't I kill you instead? Guarantee you wouldn't have to compel me to want to do that."

Damon can see the anger in her eyes over that last comment,

"What are you doing here?" He asks hoping she'll drop the bullshit for once and just be straight with him.

"Nostalgia, curiosity, et cetera. How's married life, still everything you remembered it being?"

Damon smirks, "even better actually and FYI I'm better at the enigmatic one-liners, Katherine. So I ask again, What are you up to?"

"Trust me Damon, when I'm up to something, you'll know it. Come on. Kiss me... or kill me. Which will it be, Damon? We both know that you're only capable of one."

She inches closer towards his lips. He turns and walks away. She rushes in front of him again and grabs him by the throat. She pushes him down to the floor and lies on top of him.

"Grind all you want on me you still won't get it to stand and salute you."

Katherine growls and he tosses her off of him,

"My sweet, innocent Damon," Katherine says patronizingly,

Clara comes down having heard the commotion,

"Actually he's mine and he's anything but sweet, especially in the bedroom although we rarely limit ourselves to it, shame you'll never get the full Damon Salvatore experience, but I am sure Stefan was a least polite, that can be hot... no?"

Damon chuckles, "God I love you."

Katherine scowls "whatever."

Katherine takes her exit and leaves the sickeningly happy couple alone again.

"grind on you all she wants?" Clara asks not amused.

"figure of speech?"

Clara growls and attacks Damon needing to re mark her territory a bit. She super speeds and slams him against the opposite wall. Damon meets her fevered kisses and hooks her leg over his hip to feel her wetness against his jeans. They continue kissing and humping, Damon knocks books off a nearby table and pushes Clara down onto it. He continues kissing down her neck. Clara pushes Damon off and pins him to the floor right where Katherine had previously and rips off his clothes sinking down on to him and riding them both to heaven and back.

**The Hospital**

Furious over being humiliated by people she considers so beneath her Katherine has decided to teach them what happens when she is denied,  
 **.**  
 **.**  
 **.**  
Caroline is in bed, sleeping. She wakes up and sees Katherine.

"Elena?"

"Hey, Caroline," Katherine says trying to sound sweet and innocent.

"What are you doing here?"

Katherine drops the act, "my name is Katherine. I was hoping you could give the Salvatore brothers a message for me."

Caroline seeing the face of her friend morph into something foreign and sinister starts to panic, "what are you talking about? What message?"

She leans forward like a predator over its prey, "game on."

"What?"

Katherine smirks at Caroline's confusion and quickly grabs one of the pillows behind her holding it over her face and smothering her.

Caroline screams and struggles until she dies. Katherine takes the pillow off and places it next to Caroline then she casually walks out of the room.

 


	19. Someplace only we know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback.

**Mystic Falls Summer 1858,**

Young Damon was of courting age and his Mother and Father had been trying their best to make a gentleman out of him.

He thought the whole thing was absurd... bowing and curtseying to walk around each other in a dance where you don't touch. It was stuffy and pretentious and everything he hated about being a Salvatore. But he put up with it mostly for his mother's sake, she was sick and had to stay in bed most of the time.

He remembered a conversation they had a few days before that made him realize why this was all so important,

"Mother, must I go? I don't even like any of these girls."

"Please Damon, for me... for you brother, you must try," Lily implored of her son.

"Why it's nothing to do with you or Stefan, it's about father wanting to make a match that will secure him more business. We don't need any more money and I shouldn't have to sell myself to make him richer!"

"Damon! you mustn't speak so freely, what if your father had heard?"

"There's nothing he hasn't already done to me, you know this... you just pretend otherwise, I've seen you turn away so you don't have to face what a monster he is."

Lily sighs, "Damon come here, please son." Damon now sat on the bed with his mother,

"I know things haven't always been very fair on you but the reason I want you to secure a fine young woman for yourself, one your father approves of is so you can stay close by, for Stefan. I don't know how much longer I'll be around."

"Mother..."

"Let me finish, I haven't always protected you, your right, but you've been very brave, braver than I and protected your bother... he needs you. If you don't find someone from a good family your father will insist you join the army and then who will be left to take care of Stefan? Please, you must try to behave for the sake of our family I need you to do this."

Damon looked down at his lap sadly, "I understand mother."

Later that night after Damon's first dance he snuck out to go for a walk.

He hated all those girls even more now that if felt he'd be letting down his mother and brother if he didn't end up with one. It wasn't fair, nothing seemed fair to him. He ended up walking to the tree where he and Clara had buried Sammy, he smiled at the memory. He heard sniffling noise coming from above, it was hard to see but with the little bit of light coming off the moon he managed to make out the outline of Clara's face, she had climbed up into the tree. He shrugged off his jacket and slipped off his shoes and made his way up to join her.

"Hey, what is it? what's wrong?"

Clara wouldn't look at him, she couldn't, she had overheard what his mother had said to him and even tho nothing romantic had ever happened between them the thought of him with someone else made her heartache like she had never known it could.

Damon not knowing what was wrong or what to do just brought her closer and held her in a hug.

"Whatever it is, I'll make it better, I swear. If it's a spider that's scared you... I'll go stomp it, if you didn't get enough to eat... I'd steal from the pastor himself to feed you, if some boy teased you... I'd wait till he was sleeping and shave off his eye brows," that last one got a giggle out of her, "Come on Clara, whatever it is... your my best friend, you can tell me."

"That's just it Damon, I'm your friend, that's all I can be."

"What do you mean?"

Clara sighed and turned towards him, "I was bringing your mom more cool rags for her head, and I heard you both talking. I know you have to start looking for a wife or your father will send you to fight. And I'm too young, and just a servant, I'll never be your wife, you'll wind up with those pretty girls who never get dirty or say the wrong thing and you'll have your own house and I'll never see you again!"

Damon was shocked that Clara thought this way about him, it was true she was too young for him to think about that way but it made him feel proud knowing he was her first crush. And the thought of her getting older and winding up with another man, it filled him with a rage he couldn't understand. Truth is, he'd take the unpolished kid over any of those glove wearing tea drinking phonies any day.

"Hey, listen to me. No matter what happens, we will always be best friends. Even if they manage to settle me with a wife, she won't even come close to you, and anytime you need to be reminded, just come here. I'll meet you anytime... this is our place, the one place in the whole damn world where there are no masters or fathers or even mothers to answer to, where society and doing what's right can't reach us, this is where we can be free, and its just for us."

 


	20. Brave New World

**Back to present... well season 2 "present"**

Caroline wakes up with a start and wanders out of her hospital room. There is only one nurse on call for the floor. 

"Excuse me? Where is everyone?" Caroline asks in a daze.

"It's the middle of the night honey," the nurse explains.

"It is? Oh, uh...have you seen my mom?"

"She left after dinner with your boyfriend and then your friend Elena stepped by."

Caroline looks away confused, "she did? Yeah, she did but she said her name was Katherine. Can I just get something to eat?"

"Breakfast comes around seven."

"But I'm hungry," Caroline complains.

"You should go back to sleep," The nurse tells her this time more sternly.

She goes back towards her room but then something stops her, "what is that smell?"

"Back to bed."

The nurse leaves but Caroline stays in the hallway. She looks everywhere and sees a blood bag in a patient's room. She goes toward the bag and touches it but the nurse arrives.

"What are you doing in here?" Her shrill voice snaps Caroline out of the fog that seemed to be clouding her.

"I don't know."

"You need to go back to bed."

She takes Caroline to her room and leaves. Caroline sits down on her bed and takes the hidden blood bag from her pocket. She drinks but she doesn't like it and, disgusted, throws the bag on the floor. She looks down at the bag on the floor, climbs down from her bed and picks it up. She starts drinking again and her fangs appear.

**Damon is in the living room of the Boarding House:**

Clara is still upset from earlier when Elena stormed out after refusing to go along with her ideas. "It was a good plan," she complains to her hubby.

"It was a great plan," Damon says in support.

"I was only trying to help."

"I guess not everyone appreciates just how caring you are."

Clara shakes her head, "I didn't even get to finish going over everything before Elena stormed out."

Damon clicks his tongue, "temperamental teenagers, what can I tell you?"

Clara sighs and sits down in defeat, "what are we supposed to do Damon, she's here... in town, right now."

"She said she was leaving,"

"And you believe her?"

Damon loses his cool, "no, I don't believe her! I just don't feel like starting my day talking about her."

"And what would you rather talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know... Maybe wedding plans?" Damon says with a seductive smile,

"Oh really, having fantasies of me walking towards you in a big white dress?"

Damon smirks, "it's actually more about what's under the dress that giving me fantasies.... look I just don't want to put our lives on hold because satan's mistress is sniffing around."

"I know, I don't either but wouldn't we just be antagonizing her?" Damon shrugs his shoulders not caring,

"Fine I'll start looking at magazines," Clara says giving in.

Damon pumps his fist, "yes!"

Clara chuckles at his enthusiasm and the two get lost in a kiss.

** Back at the hospital: **

Caroline is getting dressed ready to get out of the confines of the hospital. She puts on the necklace Elena gave to her but it burns her skin so she throws it on the floor.

 

Trying to calm herself down she grabs the blood bag without thinking once she realizes she's once again drinking blood she starts to panic.

Throwing the bag away again she stares at herself in the mirror studying herself, her face is changing... her teeth elongate into fangs!

Caroline screams, causing a concerned nurse to rush in.

"What's wrong?"

Caroline speeds over to the nurse and grabs her throat shoving her up against the wall, "you can't tell anyone, you can't tell anyone!" She says unintentionally compelling her. 

The nurse robotically repeats, "I can't tell anyone."

"You'll do what I say?" Caroline asks not understanding her own powers yet.

"I'll do what you say," the nurse repeats again.

Caroline relaxes slightly, "good because I'm starving," she says biting her.

 

**Back at the Boarding House:**

Stefan comes in from hunting, Damon holds up a bag, "care for one?"

Stefan refuses, "no, thank you. I'm not hungry, just ate."

"Are you worried that one day, all the forest animals are gonna band together and fight back? I mean, surely they talk."

"I'm just happy that's a blood bag and not a sorority girl supplying your dinner," Stefan says pointedly to his brother.

Damon scoffs, "really? Still waiting for the other shoe to drop, face it Stefan I'm a changed man, no need to walk on eggs shells around me all the time because you think I'm gonna go off the deep end. We have enough suspense in our lives with Katherine making an appearance no reason to go looking for drama."

Clara comes down the stairs ready to go out,

"Alright boys, play nice I'm going out to widen my palate, it's time to familiarize myself with whats modern in the culinary world."

"Why is that a sudden concern?" Stefan asks confused.

Damon smirks, "didn't you hear the great news Steffy? Me and the wife are renewing our vows, can't very well only serve up blood to the good people of Mystic Falls, they might catch on."

"Wait, what?"

"Yup, we are having an honest to god wedding this time around and I know the real reason you've been brooding this past century and a half is because we didn't include you the first time around and I just want you to rest assured you will be receiving an invite."

Stefan huffs ignoring his brother's excuse for charm,

"Do you guys think now's the right time to be doing this with Katherine around?"

"I think it's exactly the right time, show that bitch how little we think of her and whatever game she is set on playing."

"Don't bother Stefan I already tried to get him to see reason, it's easier just to go along with it," Clara says as she exits the house,

"Wise words brother, by the way, dropped in on the grieving widow and overheard Tyler talking to his mysterious uncle, I think the Lockwoods have a family secret because the Gilbert device affected them _i.e Richard_ but vervain didn't... so they're not vampires, they're something else."

"Is this your new obsession?"

"You'd rather some unknown supernatural element running rampant upon our town. Fine, I'll drop it."

"We haven't seen the last of Katherine, you do know that right? We have no idea what she's up to."

Damon shrugs, "your girl is the one who wanted to do nothing, I'm just being a team player, plus she came back to profess her undying eternal love for you so I'm gonna let you deal with her because I have more important things to do like give my wife the wedding she deserves, cheers!"

**Later that night at the Carnival:**

Jeremy is buying popcorn at the carnival when Damon strolls up, of course he can't help himself from making a sarcastic comment,

"Jeremy, it's so good to see you alive."

"Aren't you a little old for a high school carnival?" Jeremy quips back.

"My bride-to-be saw it and had never been to one, simply doing my duty as a gentleman," (He takes some of Jeremy's popcorn and eats it.)

"You're pretty funny cracking jokes when I could... I don't know...blow the whole lid off this thing by telling someone what you really are," 

Jeremy tries walking away from Damon but Damon quickly catches him and drags him away from the crowd.

He is thrown up against the back of one of the carnival booths no one is attending, "please tell me that that is not a threat."

Jeremy, trying to be tough, gives a non-committal shrug, "maybe it is."

He shows Damon he's wearing the resurrection ring thinking it makes him untouchable to Damon, but Damon is quick to dispell that belief.

He grabs Jeremy off the wall and chokes him from behind with an arm under his chin.

"There seems to be this misconception going on that because I'm happy I'm less dangerous _please_ don't be stupid enough to fall for that.

So this is what we're not gonna do-- we're not gonna walk around like we are invincible when it's this easy for me to end you."

He releases Jeremy and as the kid is catching his breath he reveals how easily he ripped the ring off him,

"If you want to tell people what I really am go ahead and try. I will shove this ring so far up your ass, you'll really have something to choke on."

He flicks the ring at Jeremy's face and leaves.

**Elsewhere at the Carnival Caroline has shown up:**

She immediately runs into Clara,

"Hey, it's Caroline right? You're Sheriff Forbes daughter? How are you? you look better," Clara asks recognizing her from the hospital.

"Do I know you?" Caroline asks.

"No, sorry. Hi, I'm Clara" She offers Caroline her hand but Caroline just stares at it.

"Um, my husband is friends with your mom, Damon Salvatore. I was at the hospital when you were admitted... glad to see you back on your feet, I guess it wasn't as serious as they thought."

"Yup, the doctor said I'm good as new. He signed me out. He said that I didn't have to wait 'til morning,"

"Wow so you just got out, shouldn't you be at home resting?"

Caroline takes a breath getting annoyed with all the questions, "I'm the committee chair for the carnival and I'm worried it's gonna turn into a complete disaster without me. I mean god bless Elena, she does not understand the word fabulous."

Clara looks around, "oh well, I haven't been to many carnivals but it looks like they did alright in your absence,"

Caroline tired of exchanging polite chit chat tries to compel Clara like she did with the Nurse earlier, "I'm a little bit too busy to play welcoming committee so your gonna walk away from me and remember nothing,"

Clara watches Caroline walk off, and realizes she needs to find Damon asap

....

Damon is looking at Tyler who is arm wrestling in a competition as Stefan arrives.

"You're lurking."

"I'm observing."

Stefan sighs, "more like obsessing."

They watch Tyler win,

"He's got strength." Damon comments,

"He's a triple letter varsity athlete, of course, he has strength. You're reaching."

[Mason arrives to arm wrestle against Tyler.]

"Enter the uncle," Damon says not being able to help himself from the running commentary.

Clara spots the guys and goes over to them

Mason beats him and Stefan is impressed, "that's ridiculous."

"Okay, he's the champ, who wants to go next?"

"Stefan wants to go!" Damon shouts volunteering his brother.

"No he doesn't we need to talk," Clara tells them causing the brothers to look confused,

Stefan turns away from Clara back to Mason, "yeah, sure, I'll...give it a shot..." He turns back to Clara as he starts to walk away, "we'll talk later."

[Stefan joins Mason.]

"Get him Stef!" Damon cheers before turning to Clara, "so what is it you need to gab to Stefan about?"

 

"Oh just how I'm pretty sure Caroline Forbes was turned into a vampire and just tried to compel me." Damon takes his eyes of the match shocked by what Clara just said.

Mason beats Stefan and Stefan rejoins Damon and Clara,

"Did I just hear you right?" Stefan asks alarmed,

"Please tell me that's the only reason you lost?"

"No actually, I was putting in effort he still over powered me," Stefan tells his brother.

"Come with me," Damon tells the both of them,

[Mason defeats the next contestant. Stefan, Damon, and Clara go in the hallway.]

"Is he...?" Damon immediately asks Stefan once they're clear of the crowd,

"No, no, it wasn't that kind of strength but it was more than human, if that makes any sense."

"Guys, not the time... Caroline, remember?"

"Right,"

They start walking again but Damon can't help himself, "What is up with that family? They're not vampires, what the hell are they?"

"Ooh, ah, maybe they're, um, ninja turtles!" Stefan jokingly suggests.

"You're not funny."

"Or no, zombies, werewolves."

"No comedic timing at all."

"Seriously," Clara snaps at her husband and brother in law, "both of you if we don't find Caroline soon someone is going to get hurt, you get that right?"

"Speak of the devil," Damon mutters as he spots Caroline and races over to her,

"Hey Blondie, they let you out?"

"I remember."

Damon narrows his eyes at her, "what do you remember?"

"I remember how you manipulated me, you pushed me around, abused me, erased my memories, fed on me."

"What does she mean abused her Damon?" Clara asks.

"Nothing, she's crazy," Damon says trying to brush it off.

"Memories have been coming back, in pieces."

Damon shakes his head, "you can't remember. It's impossible, unless Clara was right, unless you're a... but who would have turned you?"

Caroline smiles, "I have a message from Katherine, she said _Game on_."

 


	21. Game ON

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready for things to really veer away from the original story? Game on!

Elena, Stefan, Damon, and Clara are in a classroom talking about Caroline.

"How did this happen?" Clara asks trying to figure out how Caroline went from nearly dying in the hospital to walking around a vampire.

"Bonnie asked me to fed her my blood, we thought she'd be safe at the hospital but obviously Katherine got to her," Stefan explains.

"But why?" Elena asks,

Claire clenches her fists and pushes off the wall, "because Katherine is a manipulative, nasty, little slut."

Damon smirks, "look at you using your 21st century vocab words I gave you." Clara smiled, flattered at the praise but Elena just rolls her eyes.

Stefan is pensive, "she said _game on?_  What does that even mean?"

"It means she's playing dirty. She wants us to know," Damon tells him.

"But why Caroline?" Elena complained, trying to get the focus back on her friend.

"I don't know," Damon shrugged not really caring. 

"Poor Caroline," Clara muttered making Damon scoff, "Oh please,"

Stefan shakes his head, "no, she's right, Caroline must be completely out of her mind, she doesn't even know what's happening to her... We have to find her."

"Yep, and kill her," Damon finishes,

Clara is shocked, "what? WHY?" She had seen Damon kill but hearing him talk so casually about a young girl's life was somehow more troubling to Clara, it was callous.... she didn't like it.

"You're not gonna kill Caroline!" Elena threatens. 

Damon rolls his eyes, "she knows who we are. She's officially a liability, and we've got to get rid of her."

Stefan shakes his head, "Damon, absolutely not."

"Need I remind you of a tragic little story of a girl named Vicki Donovan? Caroline, of all people, will not make it as a vampire. Her mother is a vampire hunter. Guys come on, we all know how this story's gonna end, just flip to the last chapter and..."

"It's not an option Damon," Elena tells him.

"No? Your silence is deafening, Stefan. Wait, wasn't there a school carnival the night you staked Vicki? I never had a town where history doesn't repeat itself. You know I'm right."

"We're not gonna kill her," Stefan says leaving the classroom with Elena following behind him.

"She's Liz's daughter, Damon." Clara tries to appeal to any part of the Damon she knew that might still be in there.

Clara catches up to Stefan and Elena to look for Caroline and leaves Damon to do some thinking hopefully.

**Elsewhere, Matt is talking with Bonnie.**

"She's obviously pissed at me for something but for what, no clue."

"What happened?" Bonnie asks,

"She freaked out and she's been like that all day. Cool one minute and crazy and neurotic the next."

"She almost died, it's bound to mess with her head. Plus, she's Caroline."

"Yeah, I'm used to the insecurities and all that. It's who she is, love it or hate it, but this seemed...I don't know...different...more. I can't explain it."

**Elsewhere:**

Damon is looking for Caroline. He notices a wooden tent peg in the ground. He walks over and takes it.

**Meanwhile:**

Elena, Stefan, and Clara are continuing their search. 

"You agree with Damon, don't you?" Elena asks, "Stefan!"

Stefan punches the side of a trailer, "Damon's right, not about what we should do but about what's gonna happen. Katherine already signed Caroline's death sentence."

"Well we can't let it end that way," Elena complains shaking her head,  "she's doing this to get to me, isn't she?"

Stefan disagrees, "actually, she's doing it to get to me."

Clara having all she can take of these two pipes up, "could either of you be any more self-involved? She's done this to _Caroline_ , end of story, now lets just focus on finding her before Damon does, he might not realize it now but he'll regret it if he kills her."

Stefan rolls his eyes, "trust me Damon's never regretted a kill."

Clara clenching her jaw tired of Stefan's attitude, "trust me, my husband will regret causing Sheriff Forbes pain... whether or not he's willing to admit it, she's his friend and friendship means something to him."

"Wait, stop... do you smell that?" Stefan says halting them.

"No... smell what?" Elena asks,

Clara looks to Stefan, "blood..."

"Blood, as in Caroline's? Where could she be?" Elena says starting to panic

Stefan moves his head in another direction, "What is it? Do you hear her? What's going on Stefan, what is it?"

"It's not Caroline's blood... it's human," he says filling Elena in.

"What does that mean?"

**Elsewhere:**

Damon finds Caroline, she is crying next to Carter's body with blood all over her face.

"He's dead. I killed him. What's wrong with me?" She asks starting to break down.

"Hey, hey it's okay. I can help you," Damon says trying to be comforting,

"You can?" Caroline looks up at him hopeful,

"Yeah, I have to."

"What are you gonna do?" She asks,

"The only thing I can do." Damon speeds and snaps Caroline's neck temporarily killing her.

He looks down at the stake and regretfully tosses it still not confident this is the smartest thing to do.

Clara Stefan and Elena catch up to him and see him carrying Caroline,

"Oh my god, we're too late!" Elena says bringing her hands to her mouth in horror.

"Relax, I just snapped her neck, clean up whoever this kid is (he gestures to the boy Caroline just killed) I'll put her in the cellar until we figure out what to do."

Elena follows Damon to the boarding house to try and help with Caroline and Stefan and Clara are left to clean up.

**A little while later Bonnie arrives**

She sees Clara and Stefan over the teen's dead bloodied body,

"Carter?"

Stefan sighs, "It's okay, come on."

Bonnie sees his blood on Clara and mistakenly thinks she's responsible,

"I knew you'd slip up, that you'd bring death and destruction to this town!"

"Bonnie?" Stefan looks between Clara and Bonnie and realizes what Bonnie has assumed happened,

"No, Bonnie, that's not what happened."

"Don't defend her Stefan! I warned you, and your brother!"

"Bonnie I swear she had nothing to do with this!"

"I don't believe you!"

Bonnie looks at Clara and gives her the most painful aneurisms she can manage. Clara falls to the ground clutching her head and curls up.

Not letting up Bonnie opens a faucet with her powers and water starts coming out a hose.

"I told you what would happen if you hurt anyone."

"I didn't do this." Clara manages to squeak out,

"Bonnie, it's the truth, this wasn't down to her," Stefan says trying to convince her.

"Ever since she got here things have just gotten worse, grams died, the tomb vampires were set free, it's all her and Damon's fault!"

She creates a fire and it quickly spreads towards Clara,

"Bonnie, what are you doing? Bonnie stop it!" Stefan can't get through to Bonnie and he now sees Clara is starting to burn, he can't let this happen! He runs up to Bonnie and tries shaking her,

"Bonnie, Bonnie, stop it! You're going to kill her!"

Clara is still burning, finally, Stefan not knowing what else to do grabs Bonnies head and screams in her face, "IT WAS CAROLINE!!!!!!!!"

The fire goes out as Bonnie's concentration is broken.

"What did you just say?"

Stefan sighs, "Katherine turned her, she didn't know what she was doing... it was Caroline, Bonnie.... Caroline's a vampire."

Bonnie shakes her head not wanting to accept the truth, "No... No, you wrong,"

"I'm not, I'm sorry Bonnie, Damon and Elena just took her to the boarding house to explain things and get her under control."

Bonnie looks down at Clara, who's body has started to heal its self and then over to Carter, she's in shock and slowly leaves to see for herself if Caroline really is a vampire now.

Stefan runs over the Clara and drags over Carter help, he lifts her head up and helps her to bite into his wrist.

"I'm so sorry I didn't stop her sooner, let's get you home."

"We can't... Carter" Stefan sighs, she's right,

"Wait here, I'll be right back."

 **At the Boarding house Caroline is locked up in one of the cells** ,

"When will she come to?" Elena asks,

"Soon." Damon tells her.

"Thank you for not... you know."

"I didn't do it for you, and I still say its gonna bite us on our ass."

"I just can't believe what this day has turned into."

"You and me both,"

Damon hears the door bang open and soon Bonnie races down the stairs,

Elena looks over at her friend, "Bonnie? What are you doing here?"

"Is it true? Is Caroline..."

Elena sighs sadly, "yes, its true."

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for this isn't your fault Bon."

"Not about Caroline...about Clara."

That gets Damon's attention, "What about Clara?"

Bonnie turns to Damon, "I saw Cater, and then Clara had blood on her... I thought."

Damon very menacingly gets right in front of Bonnie, "What did you do?"

Bonnie gulps but answers him, "I set her on fire." 

In a flash Damon has Bonnie against the far wall choking the life out of her,

"NO! Damon stop please!" Elena begs,

"Why should I?"

"This can't be us okay? Always attacking each other, and Stefan! Stefan was with her, he wouldn't let anything happen to her!"

"You better pray that's right because if it's not, I won't only come and finish of Bon Bon here, I'll come for you too!"

With that Damon zooms out of the house to find his wife.

 

 


	22. New Friends

Stefan had just finished burying Carter when he felt a jabbing pain in his abdomen, he looked down to see a stake... the pain brought him down to his knees.

It took all his effort but he managed to pull it out and flip himself over. Looking behind him he could see Damon standing not too far away.

"Maybe I needed to be clearer, but when I leave to help YOUR girl and her little friends and MY girl stays behind to help clean up _their_ mess, I have certain expectations, namely my brother not allowing some teenage witch to SET HER ON FIRE!"

Stefan gulps knowing how unpredictable his brother can be when he is this angry, "Damon, calm down, she's fine, it was just a misunderstanding."

Damon breaks off some tree branches and approaches Stefan,

"Misunderstanding, you say?"

Damon throws the branches, one hits Stephan's shoulder and the other pins his leg to the ground,

"Whoops... sorry about that, but relax just another misunderstanding,"

Stefan struggles to put some distance between him and Damon, "Damon, please, I stopped Bonnie, Clara's okay."

"Yeah, people are always just dandy after getting set on fire! I don't know why I bothered trying to do the right thing for you and this ridiculous Scooby gang but believe this brother, I won't ever bother myself with any of you again. I'm going back to only caring about me and mine, so good luck."

He ends his sentence by jamming another branch into Stefan's neck and then leaving him there to suffer.

He found Clara not too far away and approached her slowly not wanting to frighten her, "hey, you okay?"

"Been better," she said her voice noticeably weakened,

Damon smiles sadly,"let's get you home, okay?" Clara nods and Damon picks her up bridal style walking them back to his car.

Clara looks over at Damon, "that sounded rough, what I could hear."

"Don't worry about that."

Clara sighs, "he did stop her, Damon, if it wasn't for Stefan I don't know if I would still be here."

Damon grips the steering wheel nearly breaking it, "let's just get you home, okay?"

Clara nods tiredly and silently hopes all the progress the two brothers have made wasn't undone by all this.

**Later that night...**

Elena, after convincing Caroline with Bonnie's help, that she wasn't Katherine and explaining vampires and witches Elena went home. After such a long day she just needed to be in the comfort of her own bed.

Stefan stayed out in the forest hunting animals for a few hours to get his strength back, knowing it was better for his health if he stayed away from the boarding house tonight, he got an idea after seeing the Carnival shut down and abandoned.

He snuck through Elena's window to find her sleeping, he kisses her on the cheek and she wakes up.

"Hi. What time is it?"

Stefan smiles, "it's almost dawn. Come with me."

They are at the carnival. It's empty.

"Stefan what are we doing here? We could get caught."

"Well, I compelled the guard to on break so I could kiss my girlfriend on top of the Ferris wheel."

The Ferris wheel lights suddenly turn on.

"Stefan..." Elena practically swoons at how thoughtful and romantic her boyfriend is being, 

"We have to take these moments, Elena. What Katherine did to Caroline could just be the beginning and there are things with Tyler's family that we don't even understand yet and now it seems whatever ceasefire my brother and I had has been called off... I came back to this town to start a life with you. We can't forget to live it."

"But Stefan, how are we gonna get to the top?"

"I guess you'll just have to hold on tight."

Elena holds on and Stefan jumps to the top of the Ferris wheel and sits down. She laughs, then stops, looking at Stefan with confusion.

"What?"

"It's just so nice to see you laugh," Stefan tells her.

It was a perfect moment between the two that led to an even more perfect kiss.

**Meanwhile...**

At the Boarding House, Damon was taking care of Clara while downstairs Caroline was trying to make sense of everything, Bonnie and Elena both thought it would be for the best if she broke up with Matt, it sucked but she saw where they were coming from.

Over the next few days, things between the brothers remained tense, and they learned about the existence of werewolves with the help of Alaric and that the Lockwoods carried the gene.

Katherine still hadn't re-appeared and Stefan was working with Caroline to help her get a handle on being a vampire. Clara was taking over lessons for the day because Stefan, Elena, and Rick were going to Duke to see what else they could find out about the town's new Werewolf problem.

Damon thought she was being stupid trying to help after the last time went so poorly, but she insisted that was down to the witch and was no one else's fault.

Damon wasn't sure he agreed but it did give him time to work on the special "apology" project for Clara, but it was really so much more than that.

** Caroline & Clara in the Woods: **

"So what are we doing out here in the woods? Stefan already showed me how to hunt," Caroline complains,

"I may be older than you but I'm really not that much newer to this life than you are. Not only did I have to adjust to being a vampire but also to being in a completely new century. I understand how confusing and overwhelming it all can be. It's great that Stefan is helping you but I think you need more confidence so your not just surviving what has happened to you but embracing it, It sucks that all these dreams you've had for your life are gone but you can make new ones. So I have a bargain to make with you."

Caroline studies her skeptically, "what kind of bargain?"

"First we do some vamp training so we can report back to Stefan I actually spent time teaching you in his absence but afterward, I am handing off the reins to you, I still need a lot of help, I was thinking a makeover? Maybe introduce me to movies/tv shows, so far only Damon has been in charge of my introduction to this time period, I think having a female's perspective might be useful. This way it's not just me teaching you but you teaching me, it won't feel like you have the whole world still to learn you'll be reminded how much you already know and are awesome at."

Caroline smiled and jumped up and down happily excited to get her hands on Clara's very out of date wardrobe and have an honest to god girls night, with movies, and magazines, maybe some blood and ice cream, It felt really good to be planning a fun night again, Clara was right, it was just what she needed to feel in control again.

"You have no idea how much I need a fun night, I haven't been in the sun for days and everyone is at the swimming hole having fun and Matt is there! But it's still too soon for me to be around all those people and with Bonnie being so weird with me and then Matt finally telling me he loved me but I'm still being forced to blow him off! and then with Stefan wanting me to eat adorable bunnies, it's just felt like I've been losing everything, so thank you for thinking to give some control back to me."

"You're welcome," Clara smiles and then gets serious again, "Alright you ready for this?"

"Right, what is it I'm supposed to do again?" Caroline asks,

"Race me so we can practice our speed, whoever runs into the least amount of trees wins,"

Caroline giggles, "You're on," and the girls take off laughing,

 


	23. Bad Moon Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will be changing more events from the original story.

Stefan, Elena, and Alaric get back from Duke and head to the Boarding house where Damon has been relaxing,

"Any luck?" 

Elena shakes her head, "nothing much on doppelgangers but Stefan found a book on the Petrova's"

"Kitty Kat's real last name?" Damon asks surprising them,

"You knew?"

"Please, you know how much I love to snoop, what about the potentially much more dangerous werewolf problem, learn anything about that?"

Stefan sighs, "turns out you were right, we should be concerned about the Lockwoods. Apparently, Legend has it that a werewolf bite is fatal to vampires."

"Caroline just texted," Elena says as she gathers up her bags, "her and Clara are having a girl's night... I think I'm gonna head over."

"I'll drive you over," Alaric is quick to offer, needing to get out of vampire headquarters. 

Now the brothers have been left alone,

"You know what needs to be done, right?" Damon asks,

"Unfortunately, yes." Stefan sighs not wanting to stir up more trouble but not knowing what else to do to make sure everyone is protected.

**Elsewhere...**

Elena arrives at Caroline's and is surprised by what opens the door,

"Well?" Caroline asks excitedly, "What do you think of the new 21st century Clara?"

"Its... uh wow, quite a change,"

"Ugh, pay no attention, you look amazing!"

"Is um Bonnie coming?" Elena asks,

"Bonnie hates me, Elena,"

Elena sighs at Caroline, "She doesn't hate you, this has all just been really hard on her,"

"And it hasn't on me?"

"Of course it has,"

Clara decides to jump in, "how about we put a pin in anything heavy or complicated for the rest of the night? I was promised an introduction to something called Channing Tatum? What is that anyway?"

The rest of the night is carefree girly fun-

**Meanwhile...**

Damon and Stefan are stalking Mason's wolf to figure out how much danger they are really in.

**Back at Caroline's...**

Elena is passed out from a sugar coma and the two vampires are talking.

"No offense but I still can't wrap my head around you and Damon."

Clara smiles, "I know it's hard to imagine because of everything he's done to you but the Damon I grew up with was actually very sweet, charming, strong, and noble."

Caroline shakes her head, "I just can't picture him as one of the good guys. If that's who he was, how are you still with him... you must see how much he's changed?"

Clara nods, "I do... there has always been a darkness in him probably due to his father but now its taken over almost all of him. And I don't always love how he behaves or hearing about the horrible things he's done but I've loved him for as long as I can remember, I don't think I know how not to love him.

He was my first kiss, my first everything, I went to war for him, I went up against Katherine as a human for him... I don't know if that's romantic or codependent but it's the truth my whole world is based on and selfishly I don't want to change it, no matter how it might look to anyone else."

Caroline shrugs, "maybe it can be both, romantic and codependent." the girls exchange a sad smile,

"What about you and Matt?"

Caroline lets go of a deep sigh,

"Honestly, it's nothing like what you just described... I like him, I really do and I want to be in love SO badly but incredibly I want what you and Damon have, even what Stefan and Elena have, I want something... epic, I'm just not sure that's him, ya know?"

**Elsewhere...**

Damon and Stefan come across Tyler, Matt, and Amiee in the woods, and see Mason's wolf attack, 

The werewolf rushes into Matt who is trying to protect Amiee. She falls on the floor, the werewolf is on Matt. Stefan rushes the werewolf with his powers and pushes him.

Tyler steps up and screams trying to protect his friends, "No!"

The werewolf stops and looks at him eventually deciding to leave.

They get Matt and Amiee to safety and compel the two to forget anything out of the ordinary from this night.

Looking back they exchange a look not sure what to do about Tyler.

"Do you understand what just happen?" Stefan tries gently asking him,

"You attacking a wolf, the wolf attacking my friends, and then somehow understanding me... NO, I don't understand any of it."

"Let me break it down for you then..." Damon starts before Stefan tries derailing him,

"Damon, don't"

"What? The kid wants the truth, let's give it to him. Your uncle is a werewolf, me and Stefan vampires, surprise!" Damon waved his hands mockingly.

"Whatever... you guys are insane," Tyler takes off and later comes across Mason's car, 

Mason arrives naked and muddy, "wanna toss me those?"

He passes him a bag over to his uncle, "It was you?"

Mason nods.

**Back at Caroline's...**

Caroline looks over and both Clara and Elena are asleep. Not being able to go back to sleep herself she decides to go for a walk.

She ends up seeing Matt and Amiee together at the grill, and it get's her a little down but not as much as she was expecting, turning around, she sees something that truly upsets her,

"E..Elena?" Caroline asks hoping against hope

"Nope, try again." but those hopes were quickly dashed

"Katherine." Caroline tries to move away from her, but Katherine quickly stops her,

"Don't be frightened. We're going to have so much fun together." (She smiles evilly.)

 

 


	24. Memory Lane

Damon is fresh out of the shower when Clara gets home, he gives her a playful whistle appreciating her new look and comes up behind her holding her body against his damp naked one.

"Who are you and what have you done with my wife?" he whispers as he starts placing kisses along her neck.

Clara lets her head fall back on Damon's chest, "hmm, are you sure you care?"

Damon twirls her around, "So, I take girls night went well? Please tell me there was a lingerie pillow fight?" Clara giggles making him pout,

"Sorry to disappoint... anything I can do to make that pout disappear?" Damon thinks for a second then gets a devious little grin,

"Oh no."

"How about having a naked pillow fight with me... now."

"I feel kind of gross," Damon is ready to hear a flat-out rejection but Clara surprises him, "mind if I take a shower first?"

"Hmm, hot water might be gone... I might have to join you, help keep you warm in there."

Down the hall Stefan is in bed he wakes up with "Elena" sleeping next to him with her head on his chest.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yes, bad dream. Get back to sleep." Stefan finds it weird he was just having a dream about Katherine unless...

He gets out of the bed at vamp speed. He realizes it was not Elena but Katherine in bed with him, she must have gotten in his head. 

"Katherine."

"You have to admit I am getting better at this... It was easy to get inside of your head. Have you completely forsaken your nature?"

[He rushes over her but she easily pushes him away and he falls.]

"Are we really gonna do this again? You and I both know I could rip you to shreds and do my nails at the same time."

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to see you. I missed you, Stefan. Indulge me for a little while, please?"

"Why are you back in town?"

Katherine smiles, "3 reasons: you, you and you."

"You see, I can't quite get that down. Just kind of...gets stuck in my throat," Stefan tells her not buying whatever she's trying to pass off as charm,

"Well, you know, it's the truth. Deep down inside that gorgeous body of yours, there's the Stefan that fell in love with me too."

Katherine gets up and leaves sauntering downstairs. She can hear Damon and Clara happily enjoying each other's company and it makes her want to rip their heads off.

Stefan puts on some clothes and joins Katherine downstairs determined to get a straight answer out of her.

Katherine is sipping Damon's bourbon and reading Stefan's journal lounging on the couch like she owns the place.

In Stefan's journal she finds the picture of herself, she takes it and shows it to Stefan.

"Why did you keep this picture? Why not burn it? Tear it up? You want to know why I came back. Well, I have a better question: Why did you? For Elena? No. You came back here to fall in love with me all over again, didn't you?"

[He rushes toward her and gently touches her face.]

"What is it about you that makes me still care?" Hope bubbles up in Katherine, she's happy she at least made one Salvatore brother really fall for her, but before she can celebrate Stefan uses a kiss to distract her while he puts a vervain dart in her back.

She falls unconscious on the couch.

Stefan doesn't waste the opportunity and quickly takes Katherine to the cells in the basement and chains her up. 

Damon and Clara finally out of the shower hear Stefan starting to interrogate Katherine, they start getting dressed so they can quickly join him.

Katherine wakes up restrained and furious,

"Now, where were we?" Stefan asks, "That's right; you were going to tell me why you came back to Mystic Falls, weren't you?"

"You don't have to do this."

"Answer the question."

"Yeah Kitty Kat, answer the question." Katherine looks behind Stefan to see her one failure and his bothersome wife have come to join the party.

"I came back for you." She says looking back at Stefan, "and you." she says gazing over again to Damon.

"Wasn't interest then, not interested now."

"Plus now you can't force him with compulsion," Clara adds.

"Trust me, I didn't have to compel all those moans, he might not have chosen anything but he sure as hell enjoyed it." Katherine's taunting was getting to Clara and she has to be held back 

"We're gonna play by my rules now," Stefan says taking back control,

Stefan puts on gloves and grabs some growing vervain, he goes toward Katherine and puts the vervain on her cheek, burning her skin.

Her screams bring a smile to Clara's face.

"Answer the question," Stefan tells her again as he gets another bundle of the harmful plant,

"You're going to torture me now?"

"I'll do whatever it takes to get you to tell me the truth."

"I'll do it just for fun," Clara adds,

Damon smiles at his wife, "I'll help, couples are supposed to enjoy shared interests after all."

Stefan sighs, "you know, we can sit here as long as you want. And when you start to desiccate, there's a tomb with your name on it."

"Do you pretend to be human when you're with Elena? Is that the appeal?" Katherine asks,

"Actually, I don't pretend to be anything when I'm with her. That's the whole point. I get to just be myself."

"Does she know that you love me?"

"I don't."

Damon smirks, "No one does, no one ever did."

Katherine shoots Damon a look, "that's where you're wrong, Damon. Stefan, Don't you remember bringing me home that night? Your family had taken me in..."

**Flashback Salvatore Estate 1864:**

_"I had a lovely time, Stefan."_

_"How long do you plan on staying in Mystic Falls?"_

_"As long as I'm wanted. Your father has been very kind to give me a shelter."_

_"How could he not? Losing your family in the fire, gratefully you made it to Atlanta."_

_"So, I gather I'm wanted?"_

_Stefan blushes, "uh, very much so. I know...we've only known each other for a short while and I know I'm in competition for your affections but I've never met a woman quite like you. I look at you and I see an angel. I touch your skin and my entire body ignites. I_ kiss _you and I know that I'm falling in love."_

_He leans in and kisses her, "I am in love with you."_

_Katherine looks serious for a moment, "there's so much you don't know about me, Stefan."_

_"More to learn and love."_

_"I must say good night."_

_"I have upset you?"_

_"No, you haven't upset me, you've just surprised me. Until tomorrow."_

_[She goes in her bedroom. Damon is there. He goes toward her and kisses her.]_

_"What are you doing here?"_

_"You told me to come."_

_"Right... well, I'm tired, you should go."_

_"Did my little brother's confession overwhelm you?" Damon asks,_

_"You shouldn't eavesdrop."_

_"Is my love not enough?"_

_"It might be, if you gave it freely, look I told you, I'm tired."_

_"I wish to be alone tonight. Please leave," [She compels him.]_

_"Goodnight Katherine."_

_[He leaves. She touches her lips remembering_ Stefan's _declaration.]_

**Back in the "present":**

"Go ahead, Stefan. Torture me, keep me captive, drain me of my blood until my body turns to dust. It'll never change the truth. I never compelled your love. It was real and so was mine."

She looks at Damon, "yours might have been too if I had gotten a little more time with you before that pesky counsel caught on."

Stefan clears his throat, "well, whatever feelings I had back then, they all turned to hate."

"Love, hate, such a fine line, I can wait. Anyway back to my story, it was George Lockwood that cut our time together short, he was causing all sorts of trouble.

He used the vampires to cover up his own tracks by telling the founding families about us. Luckily for me, he was willing to strike a deal."

"What kind of a deal?" Damon asks finally interested,

"A deal to rid the town of vampires."

**1864:**

_Katherine and George are walking in the grounds of the Salvatore estate._

_"I just spoke to Giuseppe Salvatore. The roundup happens tonight."_

_Katherine nods "good, insists that they do a body count before the church is set ablaze."_

"I will."

"27 vampires."

George nods, "once the flames create chaos, crawl to the exit under the quire loft. I'll be there to set you free."

_"Make sure you're not followed. I need everyone to believe I perished in that fire, and I have the perfect person to send in as my replacement."_

**"Present":**

Damon stares at her with unmasked rage, "I'm going to enjoy ripping your heart from your body."

Katherine smirks, "any excuse to get your hands on me? What's a matter, already bored playing house with wifey? Face it, Damon, you were never meant to be domesticated I was trying to set your free."

Stefan steps in front of Damon, "you knew that they were gonna burn the vampires in the church?"

Katherine just rolls her eyes at him, "I practically lit the match."

"They were your friends, they were your family and you just sold them out."

"Without blinking."

"What did George get in return?" Clara asks, "For giving you your freedom."

"Something he wanted desperately."

Stefan picks up on Clara's thinking, "so you sent 27 of your friends to their death, just to fake your own? No, you were running from something. What was it?"

"Everyone has a past, Stefan. Mine needed to stay far far away but thanks to you my plan nearly failed before it even began." She said looking at Clara,

"You just couldn't leave it alone! You kept coming around, even going to Giuseppe getting him suspicious of me. It was easy enough to take you out of the picture but the seeds of doubt you planted were harder to weed out. Once George told me that the roundup was imminent, I made sure I could see Stefan one last time,"

She turns to Stefan, "but your father used your love for me against you, he poisoned your blood."

"We came for you, we tried to save you."

"I didn't want to be saved."

"So then Damon and I died for nothing! Clara locked away for a century and a half for nothing!" Stefan screams at her,

"No, Stefan, you died for love! and Clara... picked a fight she never had a chance at winning, she paid the price."

"I want what I want, Stefan, and I don't care what I have to do to get it. My list of victims is a long one, and I have no problem adding one more name to that list."

"Come on Katherine. If you wanted Elena dead, you would have done it by now."

"Still can. If I have to, I will snap her neck like a twig and you know it."

[He rushes over to her with a stake that he pulled from a chair and hovers over her with it but he regains control of his senses and throws it.]

Katherine giggles, "I guess you don't hate me as much as you thought you did."

"Well I do." Clara announces as she rushes over to Katherine and strangles her.

Damon comes at her his face deadly as he has grabbed the stake Stefan discarded, he is ready to end her once and for all. 

Katherine seeing that Damon is serious snaps the restraints and throws Clara off her causing Damon to miss and get her shoulder.

Katherine takes out the stake barely flinching and throws it into Damon's stomach. Stefan comes at her as Clara races to Damon, she easily holds Stefan up against the wall. Clara helps Damon get the stake out of his wounded abdomen.

"I have been sipping vervain every single day for the last 145 years. You caught me by surprise once, I wasn't gonna let it happen again. It doesn't hurt me, Stefan."

"What? Why?"

"I told you, I missed you, Stefan. I just wanted to spend some time with you, them I was not expecting to be part of the deal." She motions to the couple behind her.

Elena comes in and walks into Katherine as she's leaving

"You must be Elena."

Elena is in shock, "how is this possible? How do we look exactly alike?"

Katherine doesn't answer but looks at her from top to bottom. She touches her neck with one finger as she speaks and walks behind her.

"You're asking the wrong questions." Stefan hears Elena and races up

"Elena?!"

[She turns her head. Katherine is not here anymore.]

"Are you okay?"

"Not really. Are you okay?" She asks in return,

"Not really."

Damon, supported by Clara, walk in and rest on the sofa still recovering from Katherine's attack.

"We're just dandy over here, thanks for asking," Damon says sarcastically. 

Clara's phone rings, she see's its Caroline

_"Hey, Caroline. Now's not a good time."_

_"I need your help, against Katherine... she's making me spy on Elena, she's threatened Matt."_

Clara looks to Elena,

"Ready to hear my plan now?"

 

 


End file.
